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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER, NY.  MS80 

(716)  872-4503 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


I 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historicai  ly/licroraproductions 


Institut  Canadian  da  microraproductions  historiquas 


1980 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  tachniques  at  bibliographiques 


Th 
to 


The  Institute  ha*  attempted  to  obtain  the  beet 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 
D 
D 
D 
D 

n 

D 
D 
D 

D 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 

Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommagte 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur6e  et/ou  peliicuiie 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  g^ographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  Illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Relid  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serr6e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intirieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajouties 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  6talt  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  6x6  fiimies. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  8uppl6mentaires: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6X6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographlque,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  Image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mithode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiqute  ci-dessous. 


I      I   Coloured  pages/ 


D 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagies 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restaur6es  et/ou  peilicuiies 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxe( 
Peges  dicoior^es,  tacheties  ou  piqu^es 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ddtachdes 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Qualiti  inigaie  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materic 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppi^mentaire 

Onh/  edition  available/ 
Seule  Mition  disponible 


I      I  Pages  damaged/ 

I      I  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

I      I  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

I      I  Pages  detached/ 

r~~/\  Showthrough/ 

I      I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I      I  Includes  supplementary  material/ 

I — I  Onh/  edition  available/ 


Th 
pa 
of 
fill 


Or 
be 
th( 
sic 

oti 
fin 
sic 
or 


Th 
sh 
Til 
wl 

Ml 
dif 
en 
be 

rig 
rec 
m( 


Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  ref limed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  per  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  filmies  6  nouveau  de  fapon  6 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


□    This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 
Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  rMuction  Indiqu*  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


26X 


30X 


J 


12X 


16X 


20X 


24X 


28X 


32X 


B 

ktails 
B  du 
lodifiar 
r  une 
Image 


The  copy  filmed  here  hat  been  reproduced  thanka 
to  the  generoaity  of: 

Library  of  the  Public 
Archives  of  Canada 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impreasion. 


18 


L'exemplaire  film*  f ut  reprodult  grice  A  la 
giniroaltA  da: 

La  bibiiothique  des  Archives 
pubiiques  du  Canada 

Las  images  suivantes  ont  At6  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soin,  compta  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
de  la  nettetA  de  i'exempiaire  film*,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 

Les  exemplalres  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  eat  ImprimAe  sont  fllmte  en  commen^ant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
darniire  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impresslon  ou  d'iliustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplalres 
originaux  sont  filmte  en  commen^ant  par  la 
premlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'Impression  ou  d'iliustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  ^*>  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparaltra  sur  la 
darnlAre  Image  de  cheque  microfiche,  seion  le 
cas:  le  symbols  — ►  signifie  "A  SUiVRE",  le 
symboie  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  Atre 
flimte  A  des  taux  de  reduction  difftrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reprodult  en  un  seul  clichA,  il  est  fiimi  A  psrtir 
de  I'angle  supArieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nAcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


errata 
to 


I  palure, 
on  A 


n 

32X 


12  3 


f 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

T 


CA 


c> 


\ 


V 


t 


R  Link  in  the  Chain 


A  SHIP  CANAL 


BETWEEN 


LAKE  ST.  CLAIR 

AND  LAKE  ERIE. 


hhtboit; 

\VM.  (GRAHAM  PRINTING  CO. 


11^^ 


TABLE 'OF  CONTENTS. 


Introductory,      .  . 

Report  of  the  Deep  Water  Way  Commission. 

Detroit  River  a  Difficult  and  Dangerous  Route. 

Is  the  Construction  of  a  Bridge  at  Detroit  Practicable? 

Approxiniate  Estimates. 

Compared  with  other  Canals. 

Rapid  Increase  of  Tonnage  and  Gain  to  Commerce, 

The  Canal  a  Winter  Refuge. 

A  Transfer  and  Coaling  Point, 
Klectrically  Lrighted,  . 

Military  Advantages, 
A  Link  in  the  Chain. 

Growth  of  Canadian  Commerce, 
Report  of  Chief  Engineer, 

Report  of  Consulting  Engineer, 
Charter.         .... 

Address  at  the  Cleveland  Convention  by  Jas.  Fisher,  Q.  C, 
M.  P.  P.,  Manitoba. 


5 

9 

II 

r6 

17 
19 
19 

30 
22 
22 

23 
?4 
25 
32 
39 

55 


MAPS  AND  PLATES. 


The  Great  Lakes, 
Deep  Water  Commission  Map. 
Detroit  River  Route,     . 
Canal  Bridges, 
Topographical  Map, 


I'AliK 


• 

• 

5 

Opposite 

page 

lO 

11 

(t 

3' 

It 

u 

3« 
54 

95" 


IXTKODIXTOKV 


Traffic  on  the  Gkfat  Lakhs. 


I'ACiK 

5 

lO 

3' 
3« 
54 


When  the  I'Vench  voyajj^eurs  ])a(l<lle(l  tlieir  canoes  and  hatteaus 
over  the  2.5(X)  miles  of  lake  and  river  from  the  Atlantic  shores  to 
the  western  extremity  of  the  jjfreat  lakes,  they  fonnd  in  the  eon- 
nectinj^  rivers  many  obstacles  to  their  passaj^e.  The  (kx)  feet 
elevation  of  Lake  Superior  above  the  ocean  level  was  by  the 
conformation  of  the  country  mostly  divideil  between  the  rapids 


of  the  St.  Lawrence,  the  falls  of  Xiaj^ara  and  the  rapids  of  the  St. 
Mary's  River.  All  these  obstacles  had  to  be  i)assed  by  pt)rtajjes, 
and  when  lar<jer  vessels  than  the  birch  canoe  were  needed  for  tlie 
rapidly  increasinjf  traffic,  canals  had  to  be  constructed  arouu'l 
them.  The  wonderful  development  of  the  j.jreat  west  was  not 
then  foreseen  and  these  canals  were  only  built  to  acconnnodate  the 
commerce  of  the  time,  but  as  the  prairies  of  the  west  beijan  to 
send  forth  grain,  and  the  ])roduct  of  the  mines  to  seek  a  market, 
larji^er  and  deeper  vessels  were  constructed  and  chamiels  had  t»)  be 
deepened  to  allow  their  i)assa}j^e.  So  jjreat  has  been  this  pro- 
jjress  that  the  demand  now  is  for  a  2 1 -foot  channel,  and  prob- 
ably before  many  years  one  of  that  depth  will  be  constructed  not 


0 


only  through  the  Great  Lakes  l)ut  also  to  connect  them  with  tlic 
ocean,  and  wherever  possible  short  cuts  will  he  made  to  pass  the 
shoal  and  crooked  channels.  This  appears  to  he  the  problem  of 
the  future,  and  already  the  llaylake  chaiuiel,  a  new  cut  in  the 
Kiver  St.  Mary,  shortens  the  distance  eleveii  miles. 

Of  all  the  chaiuiels  between  the  lakes  the  Detroit  River,  on 
account  of  its  length  and  sinuosity,  is  the  most  difficult  and 
dangerous,  particularly  for  the  long  freight  vessels  now  being 
introduced,  many  of  them  approaching  ocean  vessels  in  size, 
being  upwards  of  400  feet  in  length.  As  will  be  seen  on  the  map, 
a  peninsula  formed  by  Lake  St.  Clair,  the  Detroit  River,  and  the 
western  end  (jf  Lake  h>ie,  has  a  narrow  neck,  and  although  the 
present  course  around  it  is  over  92  miles,  the  distance  across  this 
neck  is  but  a  little  over  13  miles,  making  the  actual  distance  to  be 
saved  by  a  canal  across  this  neck  79  miles. 

The  cost  of  excavating  such  a  canal  would  be  comi)aratively 
small,  as  the  land  is  level  east  and  west,  and  rises  gradually  from 
a  low  marsh  on  the  borders  of  Lake  St.  Clair  to  about  50  feet  at 
Lake  Erie,  excepting  a  narrow  sand  ridge  just  north  of  the  lake 
which  rises  about  eighteen  feet  higher.  It  has  been  proved  by 
numerous  auger  borings  that  the  stratum  of  blue  clay  which 
forms  the  greater  portion  of  this  peninsula  is  for  the  whole  dis- 
tance across  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  in 
thickness,  without  rock  or  b(nilders. 

( )nly  earth  excavation  therefore  will  be  needed.  The  canal  will 
be  in  direct  continuation  of  the  course  from  the  end  of  the  cut  at 
the  St.  Clair  l-'lats  to  its  entrance.  It  will  be  crossed  by 
four  existing  railroads,  which  will  necessitate  that  number  of 
drawbridges,  and  three  other  bridges  will  be  retpiired  by  connnon 
roads.  As  the  difTerence  in  level  between  the  two  lakes  is  only 
three  feet,  no  locks  will  be  retpured.  but  there  will  be  a  guanl 
gate  at  the  St.  Clair  end.  for  use  during  construction,  and  after- 
wards when  repairs  are  necessary.  The  entrance  from  Lake  St. 
Clair  is  shallow,  and  to  obtain  a  21 -foot  channel  through  the  lake, 
three  miles  of  dredging  will  be  necessary.  Here  also  the  material 
is  blue  clay.  At  the  Lake  Erie  end  less  than  half  a  mile  of  dredg- 
ing will  be  needed  to  reach  deep  water.  At  this  enil  it  is  proposed 
to  construct  a  harbor  of  refuge,  which  has  long  been  needed,  so 


that  vessels  may  find  jjrotcction  from  the  storms  of  Lake  ICrie  at 
all  times. 

This  canal  will  be  of  the  p^reatest  benefit  to  navijjators.  for  by 
usin^r  it  they  will  not  only  avoid  the  (Ianjj;ero»is  and  difficult 
passage  of  the  Detroit  River,  and  the  islands  and  shoals  at  the 
west  end  of  Lake  ICrie.  but  they  will  also  actually  save  from 
fifteen  to  twenty  hours  in  the  round  trip. 

The  time  occupied  by  the  larger  freight  vessels  in  the  trip  from 
i'.uffalo  to  Chicago  or  Duluth  and  return  is  from  ten  to  twelve 
days,  and  they  make  about  20  trips  in  a  season.  \  essels  of  aver- 
age speed  would  save  300  hours  in  a  season  by  this  shorter  route, 
and  thus  be  able  to  make  an  additional  trip. 


0 


Ki:i'()Ui"  oi"  i)i-:i:i'  waii-.k'W.w  com  mission. 


J.\N1-AKY,    iHc;;. 


Ill  iXt^)  C'onmTss  passi'il  an  act  autlinriziii!^  tlu'  IVcsitk-nt  tu 
appoint  .'  coniniission  of  tlinr  persons,  who  shonhl  nu'i't  with  a 
similar  ooininission  to  ho  appointi-d  l»y  tlu'  ( ioviTnor-(  ii'tu'ral  of 
tanatla,  to  consi^liT  and  n-port  npon  tlu-  f«.'asil)ility  of  a  <lv«.'p  wati'r 
ciiannt'l  thronjj;!!  tlu*  lakes  to  tiu'  ocean. 


The  fji'entlenien  eoniposin;.,^  tliis  eoinniission  are: 

James  15.  .\n).;;ell,  |)resi(lent  I'liiversity  of  Michigan. 
John  I''.  Knssel.  of  Leicester,  .Mass. 

Lyman    I-'.  C'ooley,  C  .   L..  projector  ami   (irst  mjLjineer  of  the 
(."hicaj.j(»  (Irainajjfe  canal. 

Oliver  A.  Ilowland,  O.  C,  M.  I'.  1'..   Toronto. 
Thomas  ( '.  Keefer,  L".  1^..  of  (  )tta\va. 
I'homas  .Monroe,  of  C'otean  Landing. 


Their  first  report  was  snhmitted  in  Jannary,  and  so  much  of  it 
as  relates  to  the  Detroit  River  route  is  tjiven  I)el«»w,  toj,'ether  with 


a  copy  of  a  portion  of  one  of  the  accompanymir  plates  sIiowiiiil; 
the  situation  of  the  .St.  Clair  and  l-'rie  Ship  ("anal: 

'"The  low  water  slope  of  the  Detroit  River  was  determined  from 
i:^au}4;e  readinj^s  for  the  months  of  Juiu'  and  Jnl\.  iK(>5;.  as  fnr- 
nishecl  hy  Lient.  J.  I'..  I'avananj^h.  Corps  of  Limincers.  ['.  .S.  A. 
(  Lt.tter  of  l'"el)rnary  il,  |K<>(),  Detroit,  .\iiih.),  in  comparison  witli 
Lake  l'"rie  for  the  same  periocl.  The  mean  elevation  of  L.ike 
h'rie  for  June  and  July,  iH<)5,  was  .vi.*^)!  feet  above  mean  title  at 
New  ^'ork  City,  or  ().J6  foot  above  standard  low  water.  VUv 
standanl  low  water  slope  for  the  Detroit  River  was  found  by  sub- 
tracting' o.jG  foot  from  the  .i;auf.;e  readings.  The  mean  i^aiis^e 
readin}.js  and  the  standard  low  water  are  ^j^iveii  in  the  following 
table: 


10 

AFfaii  (Jaiij^c  Staiidan! 
Koadiiijr.  June  Low- 
Locality,                                                 and  July.  i8(>5.  Water. 
Gros:;e  Pointc,  Lake  St.  Clair 574.5^  S74-2t'^ 

'^^'t'*"'^   574-IO  57.VX4 

''•"t-nton   5;2.8r)  572.60 

^•''""altar 57i.«o  571.54 

Lake  Erie,  Cleveland 57' -61  57 '-^t 

The  maps  and  profiles  on  a  reduced  scale  of  the  St.  Clair  and 
l'>ie  Ship  Canal  illustrate  the  proposed  channel  fcr  shorienin.i;- 
the  distance  on  the  throuj^h  route  and  avoidin.i^  the  difficulties  in 
the  navig-ation  of  the  Detroit  River  and  the  west  end  of  Lake- 
Erie.    They  were  compiled  from  the  followiii!:;  material: 

Sketch  (with  profile)  of  the  Detroit  River  pas.saj,^'  .'ind  the  St. 
Clair  and  Erie  .Ship  Canal,  by  D.  I'arrand  Henry,  Chief 
Engineer. 

Chart  of  Lake  St  Clair,  by  C  S.  Lake  Survey. 

Chart  of  Lakes  Erie  and  Ontario,  hv  1  Ivdro^rapliic  (  )rfice. 
U.  S.  N." 


. .,  .>  ■ 


■r-  -'    'f 


,.*'' 


-  4 " 


K^mm   Pi^UjyJkt^  MTmUM'C^ 


g^^TCH   MAP^AND    PROp^^^ 
SAIMT  CLAIR  AND  ERIE  SHIP  CANAL 

from  dais,  liy 

D.   FARRAND   HENRY 
Tr^actcr  anA  Chief  Engineer 

SCAUCB 
H«rl*enUl:  statute  MilM 

Vertical:  Feet 


J»»/g. 


7fttf»  IVmim^emmmU^.mJUjBmmt, 


11 


DKTkOlT    RIVKR   A    Dll'FIClLT   AND    I)A.\(;I<:K(JLS 

kOLTK. 


The  Detroit  River,  or  more  ])roperly  the  straits  coiineetinjj^ 
Lakes  St.  Clair  and  lirie,  althouj^h  tortuous  and  full  of  islands, 
was  of  sufficient  depth  for  navigation  l)y  the  early  vessels  which 
followed  the  canoes  and  hatteaus,  and  wliich  did  not  draw  to 
exceed  y  feet;  but  the  current  was  swift,  and  when  the  wind  was 
with  it,  sail  vessels  could  not  beat  up  stream,  and  often  waited  for 
days  at  certain  bends,  nota])ly  Sandwich  Point,  just  below  Detroit, 
for  a  favorable  wind.  Th--  ■  never  attempted  to  run  the  crooked 
and  narrow  channels  ■  nie;htfall,  and  it  was  no  uncommon 

sig^ht  to  see  an  hundrvjci  sail  anchored  below  a  bend,  waiting  for 
wind  or  daylight. 

When  steam  supplanted  sails,  time  became  more  of  an  object, 
and  many  lighthouses  were  built  to  aid  in  passing  the  more  dan- 
gerous j)laces,  and  ranges  established,  so  that  the  channels  could 
be  run  by  night  or  day. 

Xor  do  the  shoals  and  narrow  i)assages  comprise  all  of  the 
dangers  to  navigation  on  this  river.  At  Detroit,  where  it  is  very 
deep  and  half  a  mile  wide,  several  lines  of  ferries,  both  for  the 
transfer  of  pas.sengers  and  of  cars,  are  constantly  crossing. 
There  are  excursion  l)oats  to  tlie  park,  islands  and  other  resorts; 
boats  engaged  in  local  traffic  between  the  city  and  near-by  towns; 
while  the  river  is  dotted  with  yachts  of  all  descriptions  and  small 
boats  without  number,  to  avoid  all  of  which  often  taxes  the  sea- 
manship and  nerve  of  the  best  cai)tains  on  the  through  craft,  espe- 
cially when  the  steamers  have  one  or  more  barges  in  tow. 

As  the  channels  between  the  other  Lakes  were  deepened  to 
accommodate  the  growing  traffic,  which  called  for  vessels  of 
deeper  draft,  the  water  in  many  reaches  was  found  scant,  and 
improvements  were  demanded,  and  from  time  to  time  nuich  work 
lias  been  done  on  the  river  and  is  still  in  ])rogress.  'I'he  folio  wing- 
table  shows  the  crookedness  of  this  route. 


12 


TABLE  OF  COURSES  AND  DISTANCES 


Dktkoit    Rivr.R    Rj)i  tk    kkom    iiik    Lowkk    T.roiiT  at  tiik  St.  Ci.aik 

Ki.ATs    n»  Oi'i'o.siTK  TIIK   Km)  ok  tiik  Siiii-  Canai. 

In    Lakk    Krik. 


ColKSK    TO 


nKARI\(;s,  DiSTANC  K, 

Points.  ,     Mtr.Ks. 


Grosse  Pte.  Slioal S.  \V 

Windmill  Point \V.  S.  \V.... 

Helk'  Isle  Lifj;ht .S.  \V.  J^  .S.. 

Along  Helle  Ish- \V.  S.  \V.... 

Opposite  Detroit \V.  ■*,  S 

\V.  S.  VV.... 

"  "        S.  W.  1..  W 


Ri 


•r  Roiif:;c S.  \V.  I)v  S. 


S.  \V.  l)y  S.  ■■',  S. 
.S.  W.  '.,   S 


Hi'iul  of  Ki<:;liiiiij;  Isliiiui... 

(jrassy  Islaiul S.  ■*,    V. 

Wvaiulolie S.  W.   l)v  W.  i,  \V. 


Mammy  juily  Kifjlit South 

Head  of  Grosse  Isle S.  W.  Jj  .S.. 

Opposite  River  Caiiiird 


Lit 


s.  s.  !•: 

Stony  Islanil s.  hv  ¥. 

Lime   Kiln S.  S.   K 

S.  I)v  K 


Kiln  Crossinji; Soiitl 


I 


S.  S.  \V 


Opposite  Amherstlmrfjli S.  liv  K.  Jy   K 

Alonp:  Hois  Hlanc  Islaiul S.  J,  W 


S.  l)y  K 

S.  \V  l)v  S.  1.,  S. 


S.  I.,  W 


Opjjosite  Mar  Point  S.  W 

Bar  Point  Six 


S.  :t,    S.. 


MIS 

s 

!■■ 

S. 

I.v 

hv  S. 
l'.  S.. 


'.,  S. 


Entrance  to  Li 
Opposite  Colli 


Pte.  Pelt 
Eiitr 


Total 


'?'•-• 
^'^^ 


I  '.J 

-I 


ter    Reef 

K.  S.  K 

t 
'4 

JO 

ei- '. 

K.  hy  S.  1 
K.  N.   K.. 

.J  S 

e  Ship  Canal 

^ 

— 

From  the  lower  liffht   St.  Clair  Flats  throiifih  the  Shiji  Canal  to  deej) 
water,  Lake  Krie,  S.  I").  '.4  S..  ^j  miles. 


13 


Tlic  (Irossc  Pointc  slioal  at  the  t'litraticc  to  tlu-  river  in  Lake  St. 
Clair  is  a  sand  and  mud  flat,  fonncd  by  deposition  of  silt  from 
the  St.  Clair  River  and  the  "l'"lats,"  and  is  constantly  increasiiifj. 
The  head  of  i'elle  Isle  is  a  boulder  flat,  only  avoided  by  a  shaq) 
turn  at  Windmill  Point,  and  another  at  the  head  of  the  islaiul. 
At  Sandwich  Point  are  two  sharp  turns,  and  along  I'ijjfhting^ 
Island  the  channel  is  narrow  and  tortuous.  Near  Grosse  Isle 
are  Ikdlards  reef  and  Stony  Island,  both  rocky  shoals.  Then 
conies  the  Lime  Kiln  crossing,  long  a  terror  to  vessel  men,  and 
not  much  better  even  now  that  a  cut  has  been  made  through  it. 
h'or,  though  the  chamiel  is  400  feet  wide,  there  is  a  bend  at  each 
end,  and  a  swift  current  through  it.  The  narrow  channel  near 
llois  lUanc  Island  and  the  shoals  near  liar  Point  follow,  and  then 
Lake  Lrie  is  entered,  where  we  find  Colchester  reef  and  the  shoals 
between  I'oint  Pelee  and  Pelee  Island  on  the  course  to  P.ufifalo 
and  Cleveland,  and  a  little  to  the  south  are  the  reefs  around  the 
I  len  and  Chickens  and  other  groU])s  of  islands. 

.'Mthough  nuich  work  has  been  done  towards  deepening  these 
shoals,  still  the  narrow  channels  formed  are  very  dangerous,  and 
the  long  steamers  now  being  built  (many  much  over  400  feet  in 
length)  find  the  abrupt  turns  difficult  to  make,  especially  at  night, 
when  they  have  to  run  by  lighted  ranges,  and  accidents  often 
occur  when  vessels  are  meeting  or  jjassing  in  the  narrow  channels. 
Much  time  i^  also  lost,  as  they  are  obliged  to  run  under  check 
through  a  large  jjart  of  the  river.  After  the  improvements?  now 
in  progress  are  completed,  giving  a  21 -foot  diamiel  through 
Cnited  States  waters,  there  will  still  remain  the  shoals  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  which  will  have  to  be  deepened  by  the  Cana- 
dian (iovernment.  being  entirely  in  its  territory,  and  even  when 
the  passage  of  the  river  is  made  as  ])erfect  as  possible  it  will  still 
be  hazardous  and  difficult  to  navigate  and  not  to  be  compared 
with  the  straight  and  short  route  through  the  canal. 

X'essels  ground  on  the  shoals  every  year,  causing  nnich  delay 
to  the  traffic  and  damage  to  themselves. 

In  i8(;3  a  vessel  struck  the  rocky  sides  at  the  Lime  Kiln  cn)ss- 
ing  and  sunk.  Another  following  was  drawn  to  her  by  the  cur- 
rent, and  swinging  around,  blocked  the  passage  for  48  hours. 

It  was  estimated  that  the  cost  of  detention  and  repairs  that 
vear  amounted  to  nearlv  $2,000,000.    In  181)4  the  "Northwest,"  a 


14 


large  passenger  steamer,  struck  on  one  of  the  shoals  near  Bar 
I'oint.  and  remained  there  for  over  twenty  hours. 

In  1895  a  record  was  kept  for  ahout  two  months  of  the  acci- 
dents occurrinji^  in  this  passaj^e.  the  following  being  a  copy: 


At  Grosse  Pointe. 

Sept.    5 — Str.  Kearsarge  and  Sch.  Juniata. 

16 — Str.  City  of  Berlin. 

19 — Whalehack  \'o.  117. 

22 — Str.  I'Vontenac. 

23 — Schr.  Howgood. 
Oct.     5— Str.  Bruce. 

7— Str.  W.  15.  Morley. 

1 1  —  Barge  Kitty  l'"al)er  and  consort;  Str.  Lachlan. 

I  1 — Strs.  Pontiac  and  Thompson  (whalehack). 

11) — l>arges  Whitney  and  Wayne. 
Str.  Rugel. 

20 — Str.  Tacoma  and  Sch.  Parker. 

24 — Str.  Cleo.  W.  Williams. 

At  Head  of  Belle  Isle. 
Sept.    9 — Str.  Jas.  I'ish. 

•  At  Mghting  Island. 

Sept.    5 — Str.  Keystone. 

At  Lime  Kiln  Crossing. 

Sept.  21 — Str.  Adriatic. 

30 — Str.  flelen  and  Str.  ( )gdens1)urg. 

At  Ballards  Reef. 

Oct.  22 — Strs.  Waldo  and  Avery. 

25 — Strs.  Simon  G.  Murphy  and  Sam  Magee. 

At  Amhcrsthurg. 
Sept.  20 — Str.  R.  P.  Fitzgerald. 


15 

At  Bar  Point, 

Sept.    3 — Str.  Cofiinburg. 

17 — Str.  City  of  X't'iiict'. 
24 — Str.  keuheii  Doud. 
28 — iJar^c  City  of  Cleveland. 

At  Colchester  Reef. 

Oct.  22 — Str.  \'ega. 

Str.  Escanaba. 


At  Point  Pelee. 

Sept.  25 — Str.  Topeka. 

Oct.  16 — Sell.  C.  L.Johnson. 

Some  of  the  above  were  only  detained  a  short  time,  while 
others  were  not  f^ot  off  for  one  or  more  days,  and  many  had  to 
be  dcjcked  before  they  could  ccjntinue  their  trip. 

The  cost  to  vessels  and  insurance  companies  durinj^  these  two 
months  was  not  ascertained,  but  it  nuist  have  been  very  heavy. 
Many  other  vessels  were  detained  and  lost  much  time  in  slowly 
picking  their  way  past  the  vessels  aground,  often  having  to  come 
to  anchor  until  the  latter  could  be  lightened  off. 

Another  important  point  for  consideration  is  the  change  in  the 
water  level  at  the  mouth  of  thej  river  due  to  the  force  and  direction 
of  the  wind.  We  have  no  continuous  records  at  that  point,  but 
we  know  that  an  easterly  wind  often  so  raises  the  water  in  the 
trumpet-sha])ed  mouth  of  the  river  that  tlie  current  opposite 
Detroit  is  reversed,  with  apparently  nearly  as  strong  a  flow  as 
the  natural  current,  which  indicates  a  rise  of  the  water  level  at 
the  mouth  of  four  or  five  feet. 

In  the  same  manner  a  westerly  wind  depresses  the  level  at  this 
Mnnt,  though  not  to  the  same  degree. 

At  lUiffalo,  at  the  other  end  of  Lake  Erie,  where  the  conditions 
are  somewhat  similar,  the  recorded  extreme  difference  between 
high  and  low  water  is  thirteen  feet,  but  as  the  periodical  fluctua- 
tions, extending  through  a  series  of  years,  amounts  to  four  or 
five  feet,  the  local  change,  due  mainly  to  the  direction  of  the  wind, 
may  be  taken  at  eight  or  nine  feet.     We  can,  therefore,  safely 


i  i 


16 


c'Stiniatc  that  the  (k'i)R'Ssinn  of  thi  water  k-vcl  <Uk'  to  lucal  causes 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Detroit  Kiver  may  l)e  as  nuich  as  three  or 
finir  feet.* 

This  would  l)e  a  serious  luatter  for  a  vessel  drawinj^  i8  or  H) 
feet  trvinjjf  to  pass  throu}.jh  a  chaunel  21  feet  in  depth  at  the 
onhuary  staj^je.  ( )u  the  other  hand,  at  ("leveland.  nearly  oppo- 
site the  canal  and  similarly  situated  on  the  f.ake.  the  chanj^e  due 
to  the  wind  is  seldom  over  one  foot,  so  that  it  is  scarcely  possible 
that  the  water  in  the  canal  can  he  lowered  by  wind  action  so  as 
to  cause  material  trouble  or  delay  to  navij^ation. 


IS  Tin-:  COXSTRI'CTIOX  ()!•  A  I'.klDOK  AT  DF.TROlT 

I'RACTKAI'.LI-? 

h'or  many  years  the  Canadian  I'acitic.  ( irand  Trunk,  and  Michi- 
.tjan  Central  Railroads  have  endeavored  to  obtain  permission  to 
bridij^e  the  Detroit  River. 

The  constructif)!!  of  a  tumiel  was  attem])ted.  but  after  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  work  the  project  was  abandoned. 

Twice  a  connnission  of  l'.  S.  ICnjj^ineer  ot^ficers  has  been  ap- 
pointed to  hear  testimony,  and  report  on  the  feasibility  of  a 
bridij^e,  but  each  time  the  vessel  interests  i)rotested  so  strongly, 
and  made  so  g-ood  a  case,  that  the  re])ort  was  unfavorable. 

There  is  now  a  bill  before  Conji;ress  for  a  his^h  bridi^e.  which 
is  also  beinj^  stronj.jly  contested.  Were  this  canal  built,  so  that 
through  traffic  could  take  the  safer  and  shorter  route,  the  objec- 
tions wouhl  have  but  little  weight,  and  the  railroads  would  be 
permitted  to  construct  a  hnv  bridge. 

Tlie  current  is  so  strong  at  Detroit  that  the  river  never  actually 
freezes  over,  but  Hoating  ice  from  the  f.ake  above  forming  a 
jam  among  the  islands  below,  the  river  soon  fills  with  large  cakes, 
which  often  pile  one  upon  the  other,  and  freezing  together  form 
a  thicker  and  more  solid  covering  than  there  probably  would  be 
did  the  river  actually  freeze  over. 

*A  Detroit  paper  of  Novenilier  5th,  1X96,  had  the  following  under 
Jfarine  Notes  : 

"The  southwest  gale  of  yesterday  and  last  night  lowered  the  water  in 
the  river  ahout  three  feet.  All  down  hound  boats  of  yesterday  were  delayed 
here  until  this  morning,  the  water  at  the  Lime  Kiln  crossing  being  too  low 
to  attempt  passing." 


0 

I'lirouj^Hi  this  iKavv  ioo  tin-  fc-rrii's  have  tu  f(»rc-o  a  passaj^c.  and 
so  slow  and  tedious  is  this  work  tliat  frcij^lit  acounndatcs,  and  it 
is  not  an  nnconnnon  thinjjf  to  see  from  5  to  10  inilt-s  of  fn-i^-ht 
cars  waiting-  a  passaj^^o. 

rasstMiy-tT  traffic  is  also  delayed  and  many  persons  seek  other 
routes  who  otherwise  prefer  this.  Kven  in  sunnner  there  is  delay, 
as  tlie  trains  have  to  he  hroken  up  to  ])lace  them  on  the  ferries, 
and  tinis  the  transfer  is  nuich  more  exjjensive  than  would  he  the 
crossiiifr  ,,f  a  hridjre.  \\\.re  it  not  for  this  detention,  this  route 
throu^di  Canada  would  he  the  easiest  and  hest  hetween  the  West 
and  the  Kast,  so  that  this  canal  sh<»uld  he  and  is  favored  hv  the 
railroads. 


ST.  CLAIk  A\l)  LAKF.  FJUF.  .SHIP  fA.VAT. 
D.VT.V  : 

Txtttoni  width,  72  feet. 
Lower  slopes.  2  to   1. 
1  Serine.  3  feet  wide. 
L'i)per  slopes,  i   1-2  to  i. 

Accepted  Prices  : 

Excavation.  20c.  per  cul).  yard. 
Dredj^injj^.  15c.  i)er  cuh.  yard. 
Ruhhle  Stone.  $8  \wr  cuh.  yard. 
Concrete,  $6  per  cub.  yard. 
Timber  in  place,  $30  ])er  .M. 
Piles,  30  feet,  average,  $6  each. 
Structural  .steel,  in  place,  3c.  per  lb. 


AI'l'ROXI.MATh:  h:STl .MATE. 

i«>.oi  1,737  *-'•  y^li^-  excavation  canal $3,802,347 

488,000  c.  yds.,  excavation  gars i.jy,6oo 

2,066,722  c.  yds.,  dredging  canal 310,008 

1.408,600  c.  yds.,  dredging  Lake  St.  Clair.  .      210,290 

406,000  c.  yds.,  dredging  Lake  Erie 60,900 

$4,481,145 


Harbor,  Lake  I<:rit'.  cril).  7cxj  feet,  at  $50.  , .      $.^5.(xx) 
picTs.  3.700  fc'ct.  at  $16 5,^,j(xj 

Docks  at  jfars  and  hridj^cs So.ooo 

Koad  alonj,'^  canal.  10  miles io.(xxj 

4  railroad  hrid^'-es.  stipcrstriK-ttirc Sso.otx) 

piers  and  abutments 60,000 

1  lO.OOlJ 

3  liij,dnvay  bridjj^es.  superstructure $27,000 

piers  and  abutments 23,000 

5o,o(X) 

Cluard  j,rate  at  north  end 61  ,(xx) 

IClectric  1  Mant. 

Lamps  and  wiring'-   $8.o(X) 

Power  house,  euf^ines,  etc lo.^oo 

1  )vnani(  is   3.000 

Conductor,    18  miles 42.000 

7  bridge  motors iH.cxxd 

81.500 

Land  damages,  i  .600  acres  at  $50 Ho.ooo 

luigineering  and  contingencies,  10  per  cent 501.784 

$5.5i().62(; 
THE  LVCOME. 

The  tolls  being  placed  at  the  proposed  rate  of  three  cents  i)er 
registered  ton.  would  amount  to  $660,000  for  the  22.cxx),ooo  tons 
assumed  to  pass  thnntgh  the  canal. 

Toll  on  22,000,000  tons,  at  3c $660,000 

Interest  on  $8,000,000  bonds  at  5  per  cent $400,000 

( )perating  expenses  50,000 

Maintenance  50,000 

500,000 

Net  income   .  .' $160,000 

Equal  to  8. per  cent  on  $2,000,000,  the  amount  of  the  Canal 
Company's  capital  stock. 


19 


COM  I 'A  Ri:  I)  WITH  ()THi:r  f.wAi.s. 

rill-  St.  Clair  and  ICric  Shi))  Canal  will  he  72  firt  \vi<U'  on  the 
IxittDin.  Tlu-  si(k'  slopes  2  Ut  1,  makiii;^  the  water  surface  156 
feet,  with  a  depth  of  Ji  feet.  There  will  he  a  heriue  .^  feet  wide 
five  feet  alxtve  the  water,  and  the  upper  slopes  will  he  I  1-2  to  1. 
Turnouts  or  "(iars"  will  he  provided,  hesides  ample  spaee  at  each 
end.  h'or  the  pur])ose  of  comparison  the  follow inj.j  data  in  regard 
to  some  other  important  canals  is  jjiven: 

The  Suez  Canal  is  KS  miles  lonjr.  havinj.j  a  depth  of  j6  feet. 
The  width  at  hottoin  is  72  feet,  and  side  slopes  of  2  to  I.  Its 
cost  was  nearly  'l.4(xj.txx)  per  mile.  The  tolls  in  1HX5  were 
reduce<l  to  $i.(>c)  per  ton. 

The  L'orinth  Canal  is  37  miles  lonjf,  with  a  hottom  width  of  72 
feet,  and  a  depth  of  26  1-4  feet,  and  cost  .S4.{)57,(xx)  per  mile. 

The  .\ortli  Sea  and  I'laltic  Canal  has  a  lenjj^th  of  61    1-2  miles 

(I  its  prism  is  such  that  a  war  vessel  havinj.^  a  width  of  7 J  feet 

d  drawinjj^  26  feet  can  safely  pass  throuj.jli.  It  cost  $f)  10.^)88 
])er  mile. 

The  N'orth  Holland  Canal  is  16  miles  lonjj.  with  a  depth  of  23 
feet.  It  has  a  hottom  width  of  Hi)  feet  and  at  the  surface  1S7 
feet.     It  cost  nearly  $i.cxxj.o<xi  per  mile. 

The  Manchester  Canal  ccjst  ahout  $i.,^o(J,cxxj  per  mile,  and  is 
35  1-2  miles  long,  with  a  depth  of  26  feet  and  a  hottom  width  «tf 
120  feet. 

The  Delaware  and  Raritan  Canal  is  20  feet  in  depth,  with  a 
hottom  width  of  96  feet  and  top  width  of  150  feet.  Ahove  water 
the  slopes  are  1  1-2  to  i.  It  is  31  1-2  miles  lonjj;^  and  cost  ahout 
$445,000  a  mile. 

In  iHijo  the  cost  of  maintenance  and  operation  of  the  St.  .Mary's 
I'alls  Canal  was  $45,417. 

RAIMD  IXCRKASK  I\  TOX.XACiK  AXI)  CMS  TO  COM- 
MERCE. 


an 


an 


Every  increase  in  the  depth  of  channels  has  been  followed  hy 
a  corresponding  increase  in  the  Lake  tonnage.  As  Lake  craft 
always  load  to  the  last  possible  inch  over  the  shoals,  all  vessels 
built  during  the  time  the  improvement  cjf  channels  is  going  on. 


■HOM 


•20 


arc  calciilati'<l  in  sucli  diim'nsioiis  as  to  avail  tlninsflvcs  ol  tlii" 
(k'C'por  water,  so  that  every  increase  in  the  (lc])th  of  tiic  channels 
has  been  followed  hy  a  proportionate  increase  in  the  tonnajije, 
and  thonf»h  the  nninher  of  vessels  registered  is  not  nuich  jjfreater 
than  it  was  twenty  years  a<,^o,  the  totniaiie  has  lary'ely  increased, 
as  the  channels  have  been  j^radnally  deepened  from  (S  feet  to  (>, 
IJ.  14  and  now  K)  feet.  When,  therefore,  the  21-foot  deep  water 
channel  is  completed,  the  increase  will  be  more  raj. id  than  durinj^" 
past  years. 

'rhron,!.;h  the  I  )etroit  River  passes  almost  the  entire  traffic  of 
the  lakes,  the  only  notable  e,\cei)tion  b.'inj^-  that  between  Lake 
Superior  and  the  ports  on  Lake  .Michi,y;an.      In   iS()()  the  tonnajj^e 


retfisterec 


1  at  .\ 


merican  ])orts  passing'  throu 


h  the  Detroit  River 


both  ways  was  Ji  .r)K4.(X)()  tons,  in  iSc)^  it  was  J^.oi)!.''^!^")  tons, 
and  in  1X1)3  26. iO^.och)  tons.  In  i(S()(j  this  will  ci'rtainb  increase 
to  _?().( )(X).( XX)  tons. 

(  )f  this  tonnage  about  one-tenth  enti-rs  and  clears  at  ihe  ])ort 
of  l)(.'troit.  so  tliat  it  will  be  well  within  bounds  to  assumi'  that 
2().(xx),(H)()  t;  ns  will  prefer  to  pass  tlu-oujuh  the  canal,  rather  than 
take  the  difficult  and  danj^crous  mute  throui^h  tiie  river,  liut 
the  additional  tri])  whicli  the  use  of  the  canal  will  allow  will  add 
about  ten  ])er  cent  to  this  tonnaiie.  and  as  the  canal  can  be  coni- 
l)leted  and  in  operation  within  two  years  from  the  time  the  work- 
is  connnenced.  we  may  safel\  estimate  that  the  registered  toii- 
naiL^e  which  will  then  pass  throuj^h  the  canal  will  amount  to  at 
least  22.ooo.O(X)  tons. 


.\s  the  carr\  iiu 


ca 


pacily  of  the  lakt'  steaim-rs  is  jj^enerally  liftv 


percent,  in  excess  of  thi'ir  re,L;istered  tonna^^v,  and  as  on  the  other 
hand  the  up  loads  are  lighter  than  the  down,  it  will  be  fair  to 
assume  that  tlu'  freight  in  l>otli  directions  is  e(|ual  to  the  les^is- 
tered  tomiaj.;e.  The  average  freit^lit  charj^es  amount  to  nine- 
tenths  of  a  mill  per  t<in-mile;  therefore  the  frei}.;ht  charj:;es  on 
22,cxx).cxx)  tons  carried  a  distance  of  T<)  miles — the  distance  saved 


l)V 


takin 


y  the  canal   route 


-W( 


)uld  amount  to  $i.5()4.2cx).       At 


three  cents  per  re.Ljistered  ton — the  conteni])lated  canal  toll — the 
amount  to  be  paid  on  the  22,000.000  tons  would  be  $660,000. 
Deductinj.;-  this  fnwn  the  savinj;"  made  in  freiijht  charges  on  the 
79  miles  shorter  distance,  the  net  jjain  to  the  vessels  usiny  the 
canal  would  be  $(kH--0('  ^^^r  tli^'  season,  or  in  tabular  form: 


•21 


l''rt'ijj^Iit  charpi'c's  on  jj,(X)0.oo()  urns  for  ~<)  niik's.  at  o- 1<> 

mill    per   ton-iiiilc $1 ,5(')4.j(X) 

Toll  oil  22,(XT(i.o<x)  tons,  at  ,^c.  pi-r  ton (W'O.txx) 


W't 


savinti  for  the  season  to  vessels  nsinu'  eana 


1. 


.SiK)4.^(K) 


'i'o  this  nnist  he  added  tlie  protlt  on  tiie  extra  trip  they  will  he 
enabled  to  make. 

The  indneement,  therefore,  offered  to  vessels  nsiiiL;-  the  eanal  is 
not  only  the  avoidance  of  the  dan,t;erons  navi,y;ation  of  the  Detroit 
River,  and  a  reduction  in  insurance  rates,  hut  an  actual  cash 
honus. 


Till-:  CANAL  A  WIX'Tl-.K  RI-.ITCI- 


Durini;-  the  winter  months,  lake  vessels  have  to  la\  up  in  M)me 
convenient  harl)or,  where  they  will  not  he  disturbed  b\  storms 
or  runninji'  ice.  .\umbers  of  them  moor  to  the  piers  at  Detroit, 
and  often,  after  the  river  has  been  covered  witli  ice  for  weeks,  a 
thaw  and  a  storm  cominj;"  toi^ether  the  ice  is  l)nrken  it]),  and, 
crashing,''  alonj.;;  with  the  current,    does  serious  injiu'\   to  tluin. 

The  canal  will  make  an  ideal  refuse,  as  vessels  could  la\  up 
aloui;"  its  whole  len,!.^th  entriely  i)roti'Cteil  from  storms,  and  the 
closing;'  of  the  t^uard  s^ate  at  the  upper  end  would  prevent  all 
injur\    from  running;-  ice. 

Near  such  a  wiiUer  harbor  as  the  can.al  will  afford,  a  ship  vard 
and  dry  dock  should  be  built,  the  ni'arest  one  at  preseiU  beiuji;"  at 


Detroit.      This   would  also  Ite 


■reat    benetit   to   vi'ssels  at 


seasons,  as  in  case  of  accidi'ut  repairs  c(juld  bi'  made  with  the  K'ast 


(leti'Utiou,  since  vessels  would  nut  rcMpiire  ti 


to  reac 


h    tl 


U'   \anls  and   (ir\    doc 


^uch   d 


iiUt 

ck 


thiir  course 


could 


\)v   con- 


structed \i'r\  easib  on  the  h  w   lands  bordering;  on   j.aki'  .^t.  I  lair 
at  a  minimum  cost. 


A.^  .\  TU.\.\SIT;:K'    \.\I)  Ct  )  \LI\(i  STATh  )\. 


jo  the  i  n  habit  ai  Us  of  the  I'l'u  insula  tliis  canal  wi  mid  be  a  j;ieat 
boon,  brin]H"in,i;',  as  it  would,  water  tr.ansportation  to  iluir  do  ir>, 
and  purchasers  for  all  sorts  of  L^'irden  ami  farm  pro(hu-e. 

.Maimfaclories  would  also  be  estal)lishe<l  at  the  points  of  rail- 
road connt'ction,  where  du'\   could  a\ail  tlu'Uiselvi's  ot  both  lanil 


m^mmm 


00 


and  water  transportation,  and  liave  every  advantaj^e  in  freight 
rates.  The  transfer  of  freiji^lit  to  and  from  vessels  and  cars  would 
he  made  at  a  minimum  of  lahor  and  cost.  lUit  as  a  coaling  sta- 
tion the  advantaj^es  of  this  canal  would  l)e  pre-eminent.  The  coal 
ports  on  the  south  side  of  Lake  ICrie,  Cleveland,  Ashtahula.  and 
others,  are  hut  little  over  fifty  miles  from  the  canal,  and  coal  could 
he  delivered  for  nuich  less  than  at  Detroit.  In  fact,  if  proper 
freija^ht  hoats  were  constructed,  coal  trains  could  he  transported 
without  hreaking  hulk,  and  could  be  unloaded  directly  on  the 
canal  wharves. 

The  throujjh-freifjht  steamers  generally  take  on  coal  at  lUiffalo 
for  the  whole  trip,  on  account  of  cheapness,  and  because  there  is 
no  intermediate  port  where  they  can  conveniently  coal.  lUit  as 
soon  as  the  pro|)er  coal  boats  were  built  they  need  only  take  ])art 
of  their  coal  at  I'.uffalo.  and  complete  the  su])])ly  at  the  canal,  thus 
leavinjj;'  space  for  more  frei}i;ht.  ( )n  account  also  of  these  facilities 
the  canal  docks  would  be  the  transfer  station  for  all  the  coal  used 
in  a  lar.i^e  portion  of  Canada. 

Recent  developments  seem  to  show  that  both  oil  and  j^as  will 
be  found  alou]"-  the  line  of  the  canal,  which  would  make  it  a  very 
desirable  place  for  manufactories. 

h:LI-:CTRICALLV  LK  iHTKl). 

The  canal  approaches  will  be  easy  of  access.  At  the  north  end 
the  dredj^ing-  in  Lake  St.  Clair  will  be  i,on  feet  wide  at  the  outer 
end.  and  this  approach  will  be  well  buoyed  and  lijuiited  at  \Ui^\\i 
by  electricity.  At  the  south  end  there  will  be  a  harbor  of  refu<;e 
on  Lake  h'rie.  the  entrance  to  which  will  be  joo  feet  wide,  with 
an  ample  basin  for  waitinjj  or  delayed  vessels.  Tlie  whole  lenj^nh 
of  the  canal  will  be  electricall\'  lijj^hted  with  arc  lamps,  so  that 
passage  by  night  will  be  easy  as  by  day.  .\t  the  outer  end  of  each 
entrance  there  will  be  a  lighthouse. 


Al)\AXTA(ih:T()  CA.XADA  l-RO.M  A  MlLl'rAR^■  I'OLXr 

()1<  Xll'AV. 

liesides  the  conjmercial  advantages  above  enumerated,  tiiis 
canal  would  be  of  great  strate.8[ic  importance  to  Canada  in  case  of 
war.     From  the  ocean  to  Lake  Eric  the  canals  and  locks  are  en- 


•23 

tircly  within  Canadian  territory,  so  that  ji^unlioats  could  easily  be 
run  up  to  that  lake,  and  as  the  treaty  of  (ilient  only  permitted  one 
liritish  and  one  American  ifunhoat  to  be  constructed  or  used  on 
the  Lakes,  tliere  would  be  nothing  to  ()])pose  them.  I'.ut  a  l)arge 
sunk  at  the  Lime  Kiln  crossing  in  the  Detroit  River,  or  at  other 
ixtints  where  the  channel  narrows,  would  bar  the  passage  from 
Lake  Erie,  whilst  if  this  canal  were  constructed,  they  could  easily 
reach  Detroit  and  the  upper  lake  cities.  Also  in  case  of  the  desire 
to  transi)ort  troo])s  for  active  service  in  the  Western  Canadian 
Provinces,  the  American  (lovemment  could  refuse  to  allow  Cana- 
dian or  Uritish  troops  to  be  transported,  as  they  did  at  the  time  of 
the  Riel  rebellion,  when  Canadian  troops  were  not  permitted  to 
pass  through  the  American  canal  at  the  Sault  Ste.  Marie. 

A  LINK  I.\  THI'XIIAI.X. 


l'"or  many  years  those  interested  in  the  navigation  of  the  Lakes 
have  worked  for  a  deep  water  channel  through  the  Lakes  to  the 
ocean.      .Many  meetings  have  been  held  an<l  a  society  formed  to 


further  this  ])roject.  and  now  it  is 


:ed  that  only  two  or 
complete  the  2 1 -foot 


iounc( 
three  obstructions  have  yet  to  be  removc( 
channel  through  the  Lakes.  The  importance  of  this  work  is  seen 
when  the  probable  increase  in  the  carrying  capacity  of  the  lake 
fleet  is  considered.  It  is  stated  b\  competent  authority  that  while 
a  vessel  drawing  14  feet  can  carry  from  2,5(10  to  3,(xx)  tons,  if  it 


drew  20  feet  it  could  carry  from  -1.5(K)  tt 


,(XK)  tons. 


All 


\essels 


built  within  the  past  few  years  have  been  constructed  with  a  liigli 
freeboard,  so  that  when  the  deep  water  channel  is  comi)leted  they 
can  take  advantage  of  it  and  deei)en  their  draft,  l-reight  charges 
can  then  be  materiallv  reduced  and  still  leave  a  good  jjrotit  to  the 


earner. 


This  canal  will  be  a  very  important  link  in  this  chain,  giving. 
as  it  does,  a  short,  straight  channel  from  Lake  St.  Clair  to  Lake 
l'".rie,  while  no  matter  how  much  mone\  and  time  is  expended  on 
the  improvement  of  the  Detroit  River,  that  will  always  be  a  long, 


crookeil  and  dangerous 


route,  beset  with  shoals,  not  onl\   in  die 


river,  biU  also  in  the  west  end  of  Lake  l""rie,  where  many  miles 
have  to  be  covered  before  open  water  and  clear  sailing  is  reached. 


24 


(iROWTH  Ol"  CANADIAN'  a)MMI':KCK. 

Attention  has  of  late  been  called  to  the  valley  of  the  Red  River 
of  the  North,  and  the  jj:reat  Northwest,  where  the  soil  and  climate 
seeni  admirably  adai^ted  to  the  growth  of  the  hard  wheat,  now 
preferred  in  the  modern  "roller  process"  of  millinj;. 

in  his  address  at  the  Cleveland  meetinj,^  of  the  Dee])  Water 
Convention.  Mr.  Jas.  iMsher.  M.  \\  T.,  of  Manitoba,  said: 

"1  come  from  a  Province  in  the  Northwest  of  which,  perhaps, 
the  people  here  know  very  little,  but  it  is  unsurpassed  in  the  wide 
world  for  richness  of  soil,  for  the  luxuriance  of  its  grasses,  for  the 
beef  it  produces,  and  for  its  wheat.  We  have  the  land  of  the 
britjhtest  sunshine  and  the  most  deliij^htful  climate.  It  is  cold 
u])  there,  but  we  tlon't  feel  it.  ( )ur  wheat  fields  extend  a  thou- 
sand miles  bevond  our  Province  and  i.2(x:)  miles  beyond  the  city 
of  Wimiipe^"." 

This  j^reat  country  was  only  opened  u])  for  settlement  by  tlu' 
construction  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railway,  and  yet  in  i(S()4  it 
exported  30.(X)0,ooo  bushels  of  wheat  and  the  same  amount  of 
other  crops.  The  natural  outlet  of  this  jjfreat  wheat  belt  is  by 
rail  to  Port  Arthur,  and  thence  by  steamer  direct  to  Montreal. 
l)Ut  now  most  of  this  i)r()duce  j^oes  by  the  way  of  Duluth  and 
I'uffalo  to  New  York,  600  miles  further  froni  Liverpool.  I'y 
the  latter  route  the  ^nuu  has  to  be  handled  four  or  five  times, 
.->o  that  of  the  cost  of  shipment  from  Duluth  to  Liverpool  about 
i>ue-half  is  paid  between  lUiffalo  and  New  N'ork.  This  canal  is 
a  very  important  link  in  the  direct  route,  and  when  constructed  a 
Canadian  Heet  can  be  loaded  with  the  produce  of  that  ^reat 
Northwest  territory  at  Port  .Arthur,  and  carr\  it  directly  throujLih 
to  Montreal  without  leavinj;'  Canadian  watt'rs,  and  the  farnuT 
would  receive  the  difference  in  frei.n'ht  charj^es,  for  the  price  lie 
i^ets  is  the  Liverpool  price  less  the  cost  of  trau'-port.  Lven  now 
this  canal  would  be  of  j^reat  benefit  to  C'anadiau  shipping;',  for 
nearly  all  such  vessels  have  to  pass  throu,y;h  tlie  Detroit  River, 
there  beiuL;-  only  two  or  three  lines  of  a  few  steamers  on  the 
Cpper  Lakes. 


AS  A  CAR  FKRRY  ROIJTK. 


al. 
and 

•y 

IC'S. 

lilt 

is 

.1  a 

•oal 

ut;li 

lUT 
lu- 
ll i\\ 

f.  )r 

Vt-T, 

tlu' 


There  are  many  points  on  opposite  sides  of  the  lakes  where 
railroad  lines  converge,  where  the  distance  across  is  much 
shorter  and  easier  than  following  the  railroad  lines  around  the 
shore.  Steamer  lines  have  been  established  at  many  of  these 
points  to  transport  passengers  and  perishable  freight,  but  the 
cost  of  unloading  and  loading  heavy  freight  is  more  than  the 
saving  in  railroad  rates. 

Of  late  years,  however,  car  ferries  have  been  put  on  some  of 
these  routes,  so  that  all  freight  can  be  transported  without  break- 
ing bulk,  and  passengers  do  not  have  to  change  cars. 

The  first  of  these  lines  was  established  about  ihirty  years  ago, 
at  Detroit,  and  in  winter  the  ferries  force  a  passage  through  the 
ice  without  very  much  detention. 

Then  a  line  was  put  on  at  the  Straits  of  Mackinac,  where  they 
are  about  five  miles  wide.  Generally  the  winter  crossing  is 
regularly  made,  but  in  exceptional  seasons  the  ice  is  broken  up 
by  the  wind  and  the  cakes  so  piled  on  each  other  that  for  a  time- 
no  boat  can  force  its  way  through. 

Later  lines  were  established  on  Lake  Michigan,  and  although 
they  often  have  great  difficulty  in  forcing  their  way  through  the 
ice  floes,  which  are  moved  by  the  wind  from  one  part  of  the  lake 
to  another,  they  have  been  (juite  successful. 

Last  year  a  line  was  established  on  Lake  Ivrie,  from  Port 
Dover,  Canada,  to  ports  on  the  south  shore.  This  line  is  located 
too  far  east,  and,  .so  far,  has  had  little  success  as  a  winter  route. 
The  more  westerly  portion  of  the  lake  is,  however,  admirably 
adapted  for  a  car  ferry  route.  For  the  first  ,^o  miles  east  of  the 
Detroit  river  the  lake  is  shoal  and  studded  with  islands  Beyond 
this  it  is  over  50  miles  wide,  and  much  deeper.  The  ice  floes, 
which  are  formed  in  shallow  water  and  carried  out  into  the  open 
lake  by  the  wind,  are  driven  l)y  an  easterly  wind  to  and  among 
the  islands,  and  held  fast,  so  that  when  the  wind  changes  to  the 
west  only  so  much  of  the  ice  as  can  break  away  from  the  islands 
is  carried  into  the  open  lake.  As  the  ])revailing  winds  during 
the  winter  are  westerly,  there  is  almost  always  oiieii  water  for 
many  miles  east  of  the  islands,  and  the  great  bulk  of  the  ice  is 
forced  into  the  narrower  eastern  end  of  the  lake. 

Thus  a  winter  passage  across  this  jwrtion  of  the  lake  is  very 
feasible,  as  it  would  be  only  necessar\'  to  keep  an  open  passage 
through  the  shore  ice.  A  car  ferry,  therefore,  between,  say 
Cleveland  and  the  canal,  would  make  the  passage  almost  as  easily 
in  winter  as  in  summer. 


r^ 


25 


KKi'oRT  oi.-ciiiKi.-  I':\(;i\i.:kk. 

St    Ci.air  axd  Krik  Ship  C    \ai. 


'I'o  the  IVfsident  and  Directors 
St.  Clair  and  l-ric  Sliip  (.'anal. 


jannary   i^tli,   i,S(/). 


(icntlcnion: 

Fifty  u.a,sa«„  vc.sds  „„  ,|,,  i,,K-.s  „,,,  .,„,„  „„,  ,„„  „„.,.,, 
•■<  f-.  .In,f,.  s„  ,l,a,  „,,,  ,,a,|  li„u.  ,n,„l,U.  i„  passing-  ,l,n,„„l, 

' ':  ""■"  '■""""■""«  l-'^-^'  I-:'-"-  »i.l.  Ih.  .„.|,c.r  laK.s.     Sailin,. 

.« Is  uc-a.  s„„K.„„K.s  .u-arlv  a   „„„„l,   ,„aki„,.  „,..  ,„„  ,,.,„„ 

I."tfal„  „,  I  Incasfu,  a,„l  sU.aMUTs  ..fu-n  i™  ,lavs  ,„■  ,„.„■,    1,,,,  i, 

;;;»-■-  Into  a. o,,,,,,..,i,„,,H,,  ,,,,„,,,,,,,,  ;,,,,^^.,,^_,,; 

<)i  tlU'  lony;-  trip.  ' 

Then  i;uftdo.acvdand.anclI).tr..it  were  little  nn.^^ 
a«cs,  an.l  Unca,.,  only  a  nnlitary  post,  the  first  fnrrous  uere 
e^,,  tnrne     n,  the  fe^ 
\\u  Ith  of  Lake  Supenor  ha<l  just  eon,e  to  ti,e  li.^ht 

W.th  the  „K-rease  in  population  and  trade,  hu-.^er  vessels  uere 
"-^ -1  the  ,.n.rnnK.n  w^^^^ 
clumnels  so  that  they  eould  he  use.l  hy  lar.^er  eraft. 

Dkki'Knixc;  the  Channki.s. 

In  ,1k.  „„,,cr  lala,  ,1,0  fi,.,  i,,,,,,-....,,,.,,,  ,„a,U.  „as  ,1,.  ,.a„al  a, 

N,,l,  Mc.    Ma,-,.,    wll.cl,    was   c,.„s,n,ac- a,-co„, |a,..  ,1,, 

l..s,-f;,-„w, ,,«.„,.  „a,U.  „f  |.a|,,  s„,K.ri,„-.  a,„l   „1k.„  ,I„.  1„,|,-, 
«-.,,,a,l.„„lM,,c,..o„r.lu^ 

demands  for  icx)  vears. 

nm   soon  with  "increased   trade  came  the  den.an.l    for  deeper 

nm.and    .5y-rsa^oalookuasopene.Iu.ith    .3  fc'ct   on  the 

"Htu  sdl.  whK-h  soon  was  found  too  small  for  the  traffic,  and  now 


SI 


20 

tlu-  Lrovcrnnicnt  is  cnnstructin}^  tlic  larjji'St  lock  in  tin-  world,  800 
fci't  hnVfi,  UK)  k'ft  wide,  and  2\  fct-t  ovor  tlu-  mitre  sill,  and  this 
depth  will  1)0  carried  through  the  whole  len<^th  of  the  St.  Mary's 
River.  ( )n  the  Canadian  side,  that  ^•overninent  has  constructed 
a  canal  with  a  lock  only  excelled  in  size  by  the  one  above  men- 
tioned. 

The  same  method  has  been  pursued  in  other  rivers.  'Hie  St. 
Clair  del)ouches  into  the  lake  of  the  same  name  through  six  out- 
lets, forniin^^  a  Delta  called  "  The  I'lats."  The  .\orth  Chaimel  was 
used  formerly,  beinjjf  the  deepest,  havinj.;^  about  H  feet  over  the 
bar;  but  40  years  ajLjo  the  j^jfovernment  made  a  cut  1  1  feet  in 
depth  acros.s  the  bar  at  the  South  I 'ass.  and  20  years  after  another 
with  13  feet,  which  in  the  past  decade  has  been  deepened  to  15 
feet. 

lyAKK  St.  Cl.mr  and  Detroit  River. 


Lake  St.  Clair  is  a  tlat.  shallow  pond,  not  exceediu};-  4  fathoms 
in  depth  in  any  part,  but  the  water  is  rather  better  on  the  eastern 
than  on  the  western  side.  Where  its  waters  enter  the  Detroit 
River  is  an  extensive  shoal  with  not  more  than  14  feet  over  it. 
Thence  the  river — 28  miles  louf — is  t^enerally  wide  and  deep,  but 
in  parts  .studded  with  islands,  and  the  chatme!  is  so  tortuous,  that 
the  aptly  a])propriate  Indian  name  for  Detroit,  "the  place  where 
one  is  turned  about."  is  appreciated  by  a  navi.ij^ator,  or  bv  one 


who  notices  that  the  citv  is  north  of  C 


anada.  an( 


1  that  a  western 


bound  train  parallels  for  a  considerable  distance  the  course  of  a 
steamer  for  lUilifalo.      .\'ear  the  entrance  to  Lake 


'.ne  is  a  rockv 


ledf^e  forming;-  what  are  known  as  I'.allard's  Reef  and  the  Lime 
Kiln  ("rossiuiL:;.  Here  formerlv  there  was  about  11  feet  of  water, 
but  now  the  jn'overnment  has  cut  a  channel  over  4(M)  feet  wide  and 
21  feet  deep;  unfortunately  this  cut  has  a  bend  at  each  end. 
and  as  the  current  here  is  considerably  faster  than  in  the  deeper 
reaches,  vessels  have  i^reat  difficulty  in  k'^epin,!:;'  clear  of  the  rocky 
sides,  lieyoud  this  cut,  at  the  entrance  to  Lake  l'"rie,  are  the  l>ar 
I'oint  shoals,  nnich  dreaded  by  navij^ators.  The  western  end  of 
Lake  ICrie  contains  many  islands,  near  and  amont;"  which  are 
shoals,  the  last  one  on  our  jjro.y'ress  east  beinjjf  between  I'oint 
I'elee  and  an  island  of  the  sanu'  name,  and  throu.Q;h  this  i)assa,u:e 
all  the  eastern  bountl  vessels  have  to  pass. 


27 


St.  Clair  and  Kkik  Shii'  Canai, 


X 


(iw,  It  IS  to  avoid  a 


II  tl 


K-  (lanu'tTs  ot  tins  route,  as  woll  as  to 


shorten  the  (hstancc.  that  the  St.  Clair  and  I'.rie  Ship  Lanal  is 
projected.  Starting'  from  the  southeastern  corner  of  Lake  St. 
Clair,  it  crosses  the  peninsula  and  enters  Lake  ICrie  26  miles  east 
of  I'oint  IVlee,  the  last  of  the  <lanj.;^ers  on  the  route  ahove  de- 
scribed, and  it  has  a  lenj^^th  oi  only  a  little  over  i^^  miles,  h'rom 
the  end  of  the  cut  at  the  l'"lats  throuj;h  the  lake,  the  Detroit  Kiver 
and  the  western  end  of  Lake  ICrie  to  a  pt)int  opposite  the  canal 
entrance  is  i  i  1  miles,  while  from  the  same  startins;'  ixjint  a 
straii^dit  course  is  taken  throuja^h  Lake  St.  C"lair  and  the  canal  to 
Lake  h>ie.  32  miles,  a  savinq'  in  distance  of  7<)  miles.  As  steam- 
ers have  to  run  under  check  throujj;-h  part  of  the  river,  the  fastest 
cannot  averaj^e  over  ten  miles  an  hour,  and  as  they  would  make 
about  five  miles  an  hour  throuj.i[h  the  canal,  the  savin.y  in  time  for 
the  fast  steamers  would  be  six  and  a  half  hotu's,  or  thirteen  hours 
for  the  roun<l  trip. 

(  )f  course  this  canal  has  been  thou|Lrht  of  for  many  years,  biU 
beiii}^  entirely  within  Canadian  territory  the  I'nited  States  |l;o\- 
ernment  could  not  construct  it,  and  until  now  no  private  parties 
have  considered  it  worth  while,  probably  because  it  has  never 
been  properly  presented. 


Construction. 


lu'^^ 


l''rom  an  eug'ineer's  standpoint  the  construction  of  this  canal 
is  verv  sini])le.  l'"or  two  miles  from  Lake  .St.  C'lriir  the  t^round 
is  low  and  wet,  thence;  there  is  a  j^nidual  rise  to  the  banks  of  Lake 
I'j-ie.  which  are  aboiU  50  fi'ct  hii^h.  Hack  of  this  bank  is  a  narrow 
sand  rid}.;e  about  10  to  15  fi'et  hit;her.  Tlie  material  is  a  stitT 
blue  clav,  the  rock  beiny  from  40  to  (So  feet  below  the  canal  bot- 
tom. That  this  clay  will,  stand  well  in  the  banks  is  evidenced  b\ 
the  first  cut  at  the  h'lats,  the  sides  of  which  were  left  without  an\ 
attempt  to  sloi)e  them — which  was  intended  to  be  done  the  fol- 
lowing' year,  but  the  ai)propriation  was  vetoed — and  yet  to-day 
they  seem  but  little  chanj^ed,  except  where  they  have  been  struck 
by  passinj^  vessels.  The  banks  at  Lake  Erie  also  stand  like  a 
rock  escarpment,  steep  and  firm.     As  the  waves  undermine  the 


•is 


hank,  almost  vertical  tnasses  split  off  and  fall  on  tlu-  tains.  wluTc 
tliev  arc  reduced  by  the  waves. 

The  dififercnce  of  level  between  the  lakes  beinjj;"  only  three  feet, 
no  lock  will  be  re(|uired.  as  the  current  will  not  be  more  than  is 
needed  to  keep  the  bottom  clear.  .\  j^niard  jLjate  at  the  uppi'r  end 
is  called  for  by  the  charter.  .\  harbor  will  also  be  constructed  at 
the  Lake  ICrie  end,  which  will  be  a  harbor  of  refnj^e.  lonj^  desired 
by  vessels  navi.y'atin.i;  that  part  of  the  lake,  and  where  the\  can 
safely  lie  after  passinj^  throuj^h  the  canal,  in  case  of  severe  storms. 

I^nir  railroads  cross  the  line  of  the  canal  and  drawbridtjfes  will 
have  to  be  built,  and  also  2  or  3  to  acconnnodate  connnon  roads. 

The  canal  will  be  lij.,dited  throughout  by  electricity  and  the 
l)ridjj;-es  worked  by  the  same  power. 

The  country  throuj,di  which  the  canal  ])asses  is  very  fertile,  and 
with  ji^ood  drainaj^e  could  be  made  a  perfect  s^arden :  but  because 
of  the  slope  to  the  north  all  the  drains.  eNce])t  for  a  short  distance 
from  Lake  Lrie.  have  to  eni])ty  into  Lake  St.  Clair;  and  a  rise  in 
that  lake  makes  back-water  in  the  drains  for  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, while  this  canal  will  ^\\c  them  an  outlet  in  Lake  hj-ie, 
three  feet  below  Lake  .St.  Clair. 

The  Cax.vl  a  Nkck.ssitv. 


Will  vessels  use  the  ca.nal  when  completed?  It  seems  to  nie 
that  they  nuist,  for  the  followinj^-  reasons: 

1st.     Avoidinjj  dani^er. 

The  course  from  the  end  of  the  cut  at  the  I'lats  contimies  on  a 
direct  line  throujj^h  the  canal  to  Lake  Ev'w.  and  can  be  sailed  with 
perfect  safety  by  nij.;ht  or  day.  .\o  storms  on  Lake  .St.  Clair  can 
trouble  larj^e  vessels,  and  in  case  of  bad  weatlu-r  they  can  lie  in 
perfect  safety  in  the  h.arbor  at  the  Lake  l-lrie  end.  ( )n  the  other 
hand,  the  Detroit  Kiver  route  is  tortus uis  and  danj.jerous.  .\s  a 
full  load  means  a  larj;er  percenta^-e  of  profit  than  a  partial  one, 
all  vessels  are  loaded  to  the  last  inch  they  can  carry  over  the 
.shoals,  the  chance  bein^  taken  that  they  will  be  able  to  pidl 
throufj^h.  Often,  lK)wever.  they  are  cauj'ht.  and  in  the  months 
of  .September  and  (  )ctober  last  i)ast  38  steamers  and  vessels 
grounded  on  the  shoals  on  this  route,  being- detained  from  several 


I 


I 


20 


11'.' 


u 
ith 
■;ui 

in 
icr 
■;  a 

IR'. 

the 
lull 
Itlis 
Ids 
Iral 


hours  to  OIK-  or  more  days,  and  many  of  thcni  Iiad  to  ijo  into  (lr\ 
dock  for  repairs.  I'hc  danj^crons  cliaracter  of  this  route  is  also 
evidenced  hy  tlie  fact  that  the  13  hj^ht-ships  and  lij^i^hthouses  and 
the  15  ranjj^e  hj^jhts  are  not  considered  hy  navi.i,^ators  sufficient  to 
render  it  safe,  and  several  more  are  projected  and  in  ])roiTss  of 
construction. 

Jiid.     ( lain  in  time. 

Xot\vithstan(hnj.j  the  fact  tliat  steamers  caimot  he  allowed  to 
iio  at  over  half  speed  through  the  canal,  there  will  he  a  i^ain  of 
from  13  to  20  hours  in  the  round  trip,  according  to  the  speed  of 
the  hoat.  'i'his  means  in  all  cases  one  additional  trip  in  the  sea- 
s<in.  and  in  some  instances  two.  The  net  profit  of  a  round  trip 
ranjj^es  from  $1,000  to  $3,000,  accordinjj^  to  the  load  and  rates. 

3rd.     I  )irect  jji'ain. 

The  re!4istere<l  tonnaj^e  passing;'  throujuh  the  Detroit  Kivi'r  the 
past  .season  was  26,i65,0(XJ  tons.  (  )f  this  less  than  10  ])er  cent 
entered  and  cleared  at  the  port  of  Detroit,  the  rest  heinti"  throuji^h 
tratitic  between  the  U])per  lakes  and  Lake  l'>ie  ports.  As  the  jjfain 
of  one  or  two  trips  a  season  would  add  nearly  10  per  cent  to  the 
tonnajj^e  jjassinjj;'  Detroit,  or  say  j,cxxj.(xxj  tons,  and  as  there  will 
he  a  certain  increase  before  the  canal  is  finished,  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  22.o(X).ooo  rej^istered  tons  will  pass  throut^h  the  canal  in 
a  season.     This  does  not  include  the  Canadian  tonnage. 

.\s  lake  vessels,  when  loaded,  carry  about  50  j)er  cent  more 
than  their  rej^jistered  tonnage,  we  can  consideV  the  above  tonnaj;e 
as  the  amount  of  frei}.,dit  carried,  and  as  the  saving  of  distance 
was  shown  to  be  about  79  mik's.  the  ton  miles  saved  would  be 
1 .73S.(XX),ooo.  The  avera,y;e  freijLj;ht  rate  on  the  lakes  is  estimated 
at  o.<j  mill  per  ton-mile:  this  would  j^ive  the  .^loss  amount  save<l 
$l,564,2(XJ.  lUit  if  the  tolls  are  placed  at  three  cents  a  ton,  then 
on  the  above  toimaj^e  they  would  amount  to  $66o,<xx).  rakinj.j; 
this  from  the  jji'ross  savinjj^  above,  we  have  S<>o4--'^'  'i^  the  net 
savinjj;'  for  the  sea.son,  app(jrtioned  pro  rata  anionjj;'  the  different 
vessels.  To  this  must  be  added  the  profit  on  the  e.xtra  trij),  or 
trips,  given  in  the  last  section,  so  that  there  would  seem  to  be  a 
strong  financial  inducement  to  use  the  canal,     liesides,  the  insur- 

ce  rates  on  such  vessels  would  doubtless  be  lowered,  as  those 


an 


m 


coinpaiiii's  would  savt-  the  losses  on  tin-  shoals  of  tlu"    Detroit 
Kivtr  route. 

"In  these  times  of  close  eompetitiou  the  slij^litest  ehaiij^e  in  the 
cost  of  transi)ortation  may  revolutionize  trade.' 


Fl'TlRE   OK   THK   CaN.\L. 

The  eonmieree  of  the  ( ireat  Lakes  has  increased  with  wonder- 
ful rapidity  in  the  past  few  years,  (ieneral  ( ).  .\1.  I'oe.  in  a  rejjort 
on  the  deep  water  channel  in  iS()i,  speakinj.,^  of  this  c<»mmerce. 
says:  "( live  it  a  chamiel  practicall\-  na\i}4ai)le  on  a  ilraft  of  jo 
feet,  and  it  needs  no  prophet  to  ])re(lict  a  wonderful  j^rowth,  but 
only  a  prophet  could  tell  its  de^jfree.  I'or  nearly  .^5  years  1  liave 
watched  this  increase,  hut  neither  I,  nor  anyone  else  within  my 
knowlediji^e,  has  been  able  to  expand  in  ideas  at  the  same  rate. 
The  wildest  expectations  of  one  year  seem  absurdly  tame  the 
next." 

i'his  is  largely  due  to  the  growth  of  the  (ireat  West,  but  more 
to  the  improvement  in  the  connectin.i;  rivers. 

h'very  increase  in  depth  has  been  followed  by  a  ^reat  increase 
in  toiuiaj4;e  and  the  ccjustruction  of  larj^er  vessels.  .Nearly  all  of 
the  newer  craft  rival  ocean  vessels  in  size.  A  four  hundred-footer 
is  no  longer  a  wonder,  for  a  larjj^e  number  are  now  far  beyond 
that  mark.  In  the  past  ten  years  the  re,tjistered  toimajje  ])assinj.j 
throuj^'h  the  Detroit  River  has  increased  over  44  per  cent,  and  if 
("on^'ress  does  not  withhold  the  appro])riations,  in  two  or  three 
years  the  Dee])  Water  Channel  of  21  feet  will  be  completed. 
This  will  j^ive  a  ji^reat  impetus  to  vessel  buildinjj^,  and  it  would 
hardly  be  a.stonishin^-.  in  view  of  the  past,  if  ten  years  hence  40,- 
(xx),(xx)  registered  tons  were  passin}.^  Detroit  either  throuj.,di  the 
river  or  the  canal. 

The  maj^nitude  of  the  lake  commerce  is  almost  unknown,  even 
to  those  luost  interested.  The  ton-mileajj^e  of  the  lakes  is  over 
one-(|uartcr  of  the  ton-mileage  ol  all  the  railroads  of  the  L'nited 
States.  The  tonnaj.je  of  the  lakes  is  one-third  the  amount  of  all 
the  other  tonnage  of  the  United  States,  both  coastwise  on  both 
sides  of  the  continent,  and  foreign.  The  amount  passing  through 
the  Detroit  River  in  the  season  of  8  months  is  between  three  and 
four  tiiues  greater  than  that  passing  through  the  Suez  Canal  in 


if 


J 


le 


11 


:r 


k\ 


in 


HKETen  or  THE 
Detroit  river  passage 

STCUIR^^oERiESHIPCAf 

^  ^     N,  H._Th("  (lotted  MneK  rHows  route  of  v 


0"' 


pi' 


^-; 


-^       \ 

H 

SKETCH  OFTBfi 

\  > 

\  1 

^ 

FROIT  RIVER  P>\SSAGE 

^iR'*o  Erie  Ship  Canal 

(loltfd  lines  shown  rouU'  of  vpkkcIs 

15' 

V 


^ 


^ 


^ 


^ 


^% 


% 


•:.\' 


31 

the  whole  year.  It  is  {h)uhle  the  entrances  and  clearances  of  the 
port  of  New  York,  and  exceeds  the  combined  entrances  and  clear- 
ances of  the  ports  of  Liverpool  and  London. 

1  will  not  repeat  my  estimates  of  cost  here — sufifice  to  sav  that 
I  consider  them  ample  for  the  proper  construction  of  the  canal, 
and  that  the  gross  income  of  $660,000  given  above  will  pav  the 
interest  on  the  $8,000,000  bonds,  or  $400,000,  allow  $100,000  for 
maintenance  and  repairs,  and  leave  a  net  income  of  $160,000  a 
year.     1  am, 

Yours  respectfully, 

D.  FARRAXD  HEXRY, 
Member  Am.  Soc.  C.  E., 

Chief  Engineer. 


82 


REPORT  OF  CONSTRUCTING  ENGINEER. 

Report  of  John  Bogart,  C  E. 
Member  Atnerican  Society  of  Civil  Engineers,  etc. 


November  ist,  1895. 


JOHN  BOGART, 
Civil  Engineer. 
50  Wall  St.,  New  York. 

In  accordance  witli  our  recjuest,  I  have  visited  and  inspected 
the  location  of  the  proposed  St.  Clair  and  Erie  Ship  Canal  for 
conecting  Lake  Erie  and  Lake  St.  Clair.  I  was  accompanied  by 
Henry  A.  Olney,  Es{|.,  and  D.  l-'arrand  Henry,  Es(|.,  C.  E.  With 
nie  also  was  Herbert  Stewart.  Es(|.,  the  well-known  c<jntractor  for 
large  public  works.     I  beg  now  to  transmit  my  report. 

This  canal,  when  l)uilt,  will  connect  the  deep  waters  of  Lake  St. 
Clair  and  Lake  Erie,  and  vessel§  using  it  will  avoid  the  naviga- 
tion of  a  part  of  Lake  St.  Clair,  of  all  of  the  Detroit  River  which 
conects  Lake  St.  Clair  with  Lake  Erie,  and  a  considerable  portion 
of  the  western  end  of  Lake  Erie.  The  great  water  traffic  between 
the  h'ar  West  and  tide-water  must  all  pass  this  point.  The  trafSc 
between  Duluth  at  the  extreme  western  end  of  Lake  Superior, 
which  is  also  the  extreme  western  end  of  the  traffic  of  the  naviga- 
ble waters  of  the  great  .\nierican  Lakes,  finds  its  finst  obstruction 
to  dee])  water  navigation  at  the  rapids  of  Sault  Ste.  Marie,  which 
connect  Lake  Superior  with  Lake  Huron.  Here,  however,  the 
governments  of  the  L'nited  States  and  of  Canada  have  provided 
three  great  locks,  one  on  the  southern  shore  and  t)ne  on  the 
northern  already  finished  and  in  use.  and  another  of  extraordi- 
nary size  on  the  southern  shore,  which  will  be  in  operation  the 
next  season.  After  i)assing  the  locks  at  Sault  Ste.  Marie  there 
are,  in  the  St.  .Mary's  River  and  before  entering  Lake  Huron, 
three  points  where  the  L'nited  States  government  has  now  in 
progress  works  which  give  21  feet  depth  of  water  of  ample 
width  for  navigation.  There  is  then  no  obstacle  to  navigation 
until  the  foot  of  Lake  Huron  is  reached. 


33 


Lake  traffic. 

The  traffic  from  Chicago,  Milwaukee  and  other  ports  on  Lake 
Michigan,  enters  Lake  Huron  at  its  northwestern  i.-nd.  and  has  no 
obstacle  in  the  width  or  depth  of  water  until  reaching  the  foot  of 
Lake  Huron.  The  connection  between  Lake  Huron  and  Lake 
St.  Clair  is  at  the  St.  Clair  River,  and  in  this  river  there  is  one 
point  where  the  Cnited  States  government  is  now  dredging  to 
secure  a  depth  of  21  feet  to  a  width  of  2,400  feet.  There  is  then 
at  the  foot  of  St.  Clair  River  and  head  of  Lake  St.  Clair  a  canal 
called  the  "St.  Clair  Flats  Canal,"  which  has  a  full  depth  of  water 
for  navigation,  the  entrances  to  which  have  been,  and  will  be, 
ke])t  in  condition  by  the  Cnited  States  government.  Then  conies 
the  navigation  in  the  Detroit  River,  which  is  a  stream  of  rapid 
current  with  a  bar  at  the  mouth  of  Detroit  River  where  it  enters 
Lake  l*>ie,  work  upon  which  is  now  in  ])rogress  by  the  I'nited 
States  government,  in  order  to  secure  a  de])th  of  21  feet  and  a 
width  of  800  feet.  I'rom  the  mtnith  of  the  Detroit  River,  at  the 
western  end  of  Lake  Erie,  the  greater  portion  of  the  traffic  passes 
through  Lake  Erie,  either  to  lUiffalo  or  the  west  end  of  the  Wel- 
land  Canal ;  and  in  the  latter  case,  through  the  Welland  Canal  to 
Lake  Ontario  and  by  the  St.  Lawrence  River  to  Montreal,  Que- 
bec, and  the  tide-water  of  the  Atlantic  ( )cean.  The  traffic  which 
goes  to  liuflfalo  is  there  transferred  either  to  railways  or  to  the 
boats  in  the  l'>ie  Canal,  in  either  case  reaching  tide-water  of  the 
Atlantic  by  \ew  York  or  other  of  the  ports  of  the  L'nited  States. 

Time  and  Distance  Saved. 


The  proposed  canal  will  shorten  the  distance  for  all  this  traffic 
seventy-nine  iji))  miles,  and  will  give  straight  and  direct  sailing 
courses  for  thirty-two  miles  in  it  and  in  Lake  St.  Clair,  as  com- 
pared with  1 1 1  u'.iles,  the  greater  portion  of  which  is  in  a  difficult 
and  tortuous  chamiel  and  the  ra])id  current  of  the  Detroit  River. 
The  saving  in  time  will  thus  probably  be  considerably  greater 
than  the  saving  in  distance.  This  new  channel  of  commerce 
would  be  available  for  and  valuable  to  all  of  the  traffic  of  the  ( jreat 
Lakes  going  either  easterly  or  westerly,  except  that  portion  which 
would  have  freight  for  the  City  of  Detroit,  or  ports  on  the  Detroit 


84 


River,  and  the  statistics  show  that  not  more  than  ten  per  cent,  of 
the  total  traffic  tonches  at  ports  on  the  Detroit  River.  In  other 
words,  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  traffic  is  through  business  which 
could  be  more  economically  carried  through  the  St.  Clair  and 
Erie  Ship  Canal. 


ToK.iAGE  Passing  Through  the  Detroit  River. 

The  amount  of  this  lousiness  for  a  series  of  years  since  1880,  is 
shown  by  the  following  statement  of  the  number  of  vessels  ajid 
the  tonnage,  exclusive  of  Canadian  vessels  clearing  from  Can- 
adian p>  Its,  ,:!:ch  passed  through  the  Detroit  River;  this  is 
compiled  tio  u  !u-  oflicial  returns  of  the  United  States  govern- 
ment officers: 

Year>.  V.  of  Vessels.       Registered  Tonnage. 

1880 ;^\j2i  20,235,249 

1881    35,888  17,572,240 

1882  35,199  17,872,182 

1883 40.385  17,695,174 

1884 38,742  18,045.949 

1885  34,921  16,777,826 

1886 38,261  18,968.065 

1887 38,125  18,864,250 

1888 31.404  19,099.060 

1899 32-415  19.646,000 

1890 35,640  21,684.000 

1891   34.-25I  22.160.000 

1892 33,860  24,785.000 

1893  33,165  23,o<;i,889 

1894 34,800  26,120,000 

This  latter  is  double  the  entrances  and  clearances  at  the  Port 
of  New  York,  exceeds  the  combined  entrances  and  clearances  of 
the  great  seaports  of  London  and  Liverpool,  and  is  about  three 
times  the  tonnage  passing  through  the  Suez  Canal. 

The  proposed  canal  will  have  ample  capacity  to  accommodate 
more  than  this  business,  and  this  business  is  substantially  concen- 
trated in  the  months  during  which  the  navigation  of  the  canal 


35 


would  be  free  from  ice;  in  fact,  a  very  small  proportion  of  the 
through  traffic  between  the  West  and  the  East  is  carried  diiring 
the  severe  winter  months,  because  during  those  months  neither 
the  Erie  Canal  nor  the  Canadian  canals  can  be  operated  on 
account  of  obstruction  bv  ice. 


No  Lockage  Necessary. 

In  this  proposed  canal  there  will  be  no  locks.  It  is  intended 
that  a  guard-gate  shall  be  placed  at  the  northern  entrance  t(j  tho 
canal  as  a  precaution,  but  the  difference  of  elevation  between 
Lake  St.  Clair  and  Lake  Erie  being  only  three  feet  there  would 
be  no  objectionable  current  through  the  length  of  this  canal. 
The  guard-gate  is  provided  for,  however,  both  for  the  reason 
above  stated  and  in  accordance  with  the  law  of  the  Dominion. 

It  is  intended  to  provide  for  electric  lighting  of  the  entire 
length  of  the  canal,  so  that  vessels  can  pass  in  either  direction, 
both  day  and  night;  and  the  width  and  (le])th  give  am])le  room 
for  such  continuous  passage.  The  capacity  to  take  care  of  all 
possible  traffic  is  undoubted. 

The  canal  lies  entirely  within  the  Province  of  Ontario,  Domin- 
ion of  Canada,  and  there  are  therefore  no  international  complica- 
tions to  be  anticipated  in  connection  with  its  use.  I  am  informed 
that  the  laws  which  have  been  enacted  in  Canada  in  connection 
with  this  enter])rise  provide  every  safeguard  for  its  uno])structed 
use. 

Topographical  Features. 

I  have  made  a  careful  personal  examination  along  the  whole 
line  of  the  proposed  canal  and  find  that  the  maps  and  profiles 
submitted  by  the  officers  of  the  comi)any  correctly  show  the 
physical  features. 

The  distance  between  the  waters  of  the  two  lakes,  as  shown  on 
the  map  and  profile,  is  70,872  feet,  or  nearly  13  423-ioooth  miles. 
The  ptans  propose  dredging  in  Lake  St.  Clair  23.700  feet  (about 
4  488-ioooth  miles)  in  addition  to  the  above.  The  deep  water  oi 
Lake  Erie  is-  reached  1,740  feet  (about  3-ioth  mile)  from  the 
shore.  The  total  length  of  the  works  of  excavatit)n  and  dredging 
will  then  be  about  18  211-ioooth  miles. 


The  land  on  the  hne  of  the  canal  is  at  the  level  of  the  water  of 
the  lake  at  the  Lake  St.  Clair  end  of  the  canal.  The  surface  then 
rises  j^radually  and  with  much  regularity  to  within  a  short  dis- 
tance of  Lake  Erie,  where  it  attains  a  niaxinnini  elevation  of 
about  60  feet  a])(jve  the  waters  of  Lake  St.  Clair.  The  depth  of 
the  water  in  the  canal  beinj^r  21  feet,  the  maximum  depth  of 
excavation  will  thus  he  81  feet  at  the  highest  point,  near  Lake 
Erie.  The  land  terminates  at  Lake  Erie  in  a  high,  steep  blufT, 
which  seems  to  have  withstood  the  elements  for  many  years, 
maintaining  this  steep  slope. 

The  plans  propose  that  the  excavated  material  shall  (except  at 
the  extreme  ends  of  the  canal)  be  jiiled  on  either  side  of  the 
excavation  in  synmietrical  embankments.  The  charter  of  the 
canal  ]>ermits  the  ac(|uirement  of  land  to  the  width  of  i.ooo  feet. 
Witii  this  width  .secured,  the  length  to  which  the  excavated  ma- 
terial is  to  be  carried  is  thus  fairly  defined. 

At  the  Lake  l'>ie  end  of  the  canal,  where,  for  a  short  distance, 
the  excavation  is  very  deep,  the  Engineer  of  the  canal  considers 
it  might  be  more  economical  to  load  the  material  into  vessels  and 
dum]i  it  into  deep  water,  which  occurs  here  not  very  far  from  the 
shore. 

The  excavation  of  al)()Ut  4  miles  at  the  St.  Clair  end  is  designed 
to  be  made  bv  dredging,  and  the  material  to  be  carried  out  to 
dee])  water. 

h'our  lines  of  railway  cross  the  line  of  the  proposed  canal. 
Draw-bridges  nuist  be  provided  for  each.  The  maps  also  show 
a  num])er  of  roads  crossing  the  line  of  the  canal.  Provision  is 
made  in  the  estimates  for  sufficient  bridges  for  these  roads. 

Proposed  Pl.\ns  ok  Canal. 


At  the  Lake  h's'w  end  the  plans  show  a  small  harbor,  or  basin, 
1,900  feet  long  and  600  feet  in  width,  ft)rmed  by  timber  crib  work 
and  end)ankment  from  the  canal  excavatic^n. 

1  think  the  canal  can  be  constructed  in  general  accowlance 
with  the  plans  presented.  They  provide  for  a  channel  from  lake 
to  lake,  with  a  width  at  bottom  of  72  feet,  and  a  depth  of  water  of 
21  feet.  The  slope  of  the  banks  to  four  feet  above  the  water 
line  is  2  to  i .    Above  this  there  is  a  level  berme  of  3  feet  in  width 


37 

on  bf)th  sides  of  the  canal,  and  the  excavation  is  then  continued 
on  n  slope  of  one  and  one-half  horizontal  to  one  vertical,  uj)  to  the 
surface  of  the  ground. 

T  have  considered  the  various  items  of  an  estimate  of  cost  for 
this  con.struction  and  have  included  in  such  estimate  land  dam- 
ajT^es.  hridses,  both  for  the  railroads  and  common  roads,  guard- 
gates,  bank  ])rotection.  dredging  in  both  Lake  St.  Clair  and  Lake 
Erie,  a  small  harbor  at  the  Lake  Erie  end  of  the  canal,  the  exca- 
vation of  the  canal,  and  a  reasonable  amount  for  contingencies. 
In  my  opinion  the  sum  of  $5,800,000  will  construct  the  canal  and 
its  bridges  and  i)Ut  the  work  in  condition  for  operation  and  for 
innnediate  use  by  all  the  commerce  of  the  (Ireat  Lakes. 


Advantage  ok  a  Direct  Course- 

The  total  lengdi  of  the  canal  from  Lakr>  St.  Clair  to  Lake  l*>ie 
will  be  14  miles,  and  there  will  be,  in  addition,  4  miles  of  dredg- 
ing, most  of  which  will  be  in  Lake  St.  Clair;  tlie  total  length  of 
the  work  under  consideration  is  thus  18  miles. 

In  the  use  of  this  artificial  channel  the  vessels  will  leave  the 
present  course  of  navigation  at  a  ])oint  in  Lake  St.  Clair  18  miles 
northerly  from  the  southern  shore  of  that  lake,  at  the  point  of 
entrance  into  the  canal.  The  distance  from  this  point  of  depar- 
ture from  the  present  course  of  navigation  to  a  point  in  Lake 
Erie,  which  is  200  miles  from  the  City  of  lUiffalo,  will  be  32 
miles.  The  distance  from  the  same  point  of  departure  by  way 
of  Lake  St.  Clair,  the  Detroit  River  and  the  western  jjortion  of 
Lake  Erie  to  a  point  also  200  miles  from  the  City  of  iUiffalo.  will 
be  1 1 1  miles.  The  actual  saving  in  distance  is  therefore,  as  has 
been  above  .state<l.  7<)  miles;  but  it  will  also  be  noted,  as  has 
been  indicated  above,  that  the  navigation  of  this  32  miles  by  way 
of  the  canal,  is  in  a  i^erfectly  direct,  clear  and  straiglit  course; 
while  the  iii  miles  is  through  the  difticult  entrance  to  the  De- 
troit River,  through  its  rather  crooked  channel  and  then  through 
the  islands  at  the  southern  end  of  Lake  l">ie. 

Referring  more  ])articularly  to  the  engineering  features  of  this 
undertaking.  I  have  to  say  iti  conclusion,  that  the  i)roject  is 
entirely  feasible,  that  I  believe  that  the  work  can  be  done  for 
the  amount  estimated,  and  that  the  canal  and  its  approaches,  thus 


88 

constructed,  will  provide  ample,  safe  a.id  cfftrtual  means  of 
transit  for  eonnnerce.  and  tl.at  the  annual  cost  of  maintenance 
will  be  small. 

I  enclose  herewith  maps  which  show  the  (ireat  Lakes  and  their 
connection  with  tide-water,  both  through  the  Dominion  of  Can- 
ada and  through  the  I'nited  States,  and  also  the  line  of  the  canal, 
and  of  the  navigation  through  the  lakes  and  the  Detroit  River 
which  is  now  ftjllowed. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be, 
\ery  respectfully. 

(Signed)    JC)H\  P.OGART. 

Consulting  Engineer. 


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An  Act  1 

WHE 

incorpor; 
hereinaft 
the  said 
vice  and 
ada,  dec^ 
I.  Tl 
"canal  c 
requires, 
of  the  c 
Act; 

(a.) 
in  this  i 

(b.) 
ships, 
passing 
lakes  ( 

ic.) 
wares, 
passing 

2. 

hereb\ 

3- 
Michi 

of  Or 

C.  Bi 

and  ( 

togetl 

pany 

poratj 

CotnJ 


39 


An  Act  to  Incorporate  the  St.  Clair  and  Erie  Ship  Canal  Com- 
pany. 

WHEREAS,  a  petition  has  been  presented  praying'  for  the 
incorporation  of  a  company  for  the  pnrposes  and  with  the  powers 
hereinafter  set  forth,  and  it  is  expedient  to  grant  the  i)rayer  of 
the  said  petition:  Therefore  Her  Majesty,  by  and  with  the  ad- 
vice and  consent  of  the  Senate  and  House  of  Commons  of  Can- 
ada, declares  and  enacts  as  follows: — 

1.  The  word  "canal"  wherever  used  in  this  Act  shall  mean 

"canal  or  navigation,"  and  shall,  unless  the  context  (Otherwise 

requires,  include  every  kind  of  work  necessary  or  done  in  respect 

of  the  canal  for  the  purpose  of  carr\'ing  out  the  objects  of  this 
Act; 

(a.)  The  word  "land"  wherever  used  in  The  Raihavy  Act  or 
in  this  Act,  shall  include  land  covered  or  partly  covered  by  water; 

(b.)  The  word  "vessel"  shall  mean  and  include  any  steam- 
ships, boats  or  craft,  barges,  boats,  rafts,  or  vessels  navigating  or 
passing  through  the  canal  hereby  authorized,  or  l)lying  UjKjn  the 
lakes  or  rivers  connecting  therewith ; 

(c.)  The  word  "goods"  shall  mean  and  include  any  goods, 
wares,  merchandise  and  connnodities  of  whatsoever  description 
passing  through  the  canal  hereby  authorized. 

2.  The  works  hereinafter  authorized  to  be  constructed  are 
hereby  declared  to  be  works  for  the  general  advantage  of  Canada. 

3.  I).  I''arrand  Henry,  of  the  City  of  Detroit,  in  the  State  of 
Michigan;  David  Tisdale,  of  the  Town  of  Sinicoe,  in  the  IVovince 
of  Ontario;  Hervey  A.  ( )lney.  of  Tilbury.  Ontario.  Canada;  W. 
C.  Baxter,  of  the  City  of  Minneapolis,  in  the  State  of  .Minnesota; 
and  C.  A.  Youmans.  of  Xeillsville.  in  the  State  of  Wisconsin: 
together  with  such  persons  as  become  shareholders  in  the  Com- 
pany hereby  incorj^orated,  are  hereby  constituted  a  body  cor- 
porate, under  the  name  of  "The  St.  Clair  and  Erie  Ship  Canal 
Company."  hereinafter  called  "the  Company." 


40 


4-  TIh'  head  office  of  the  Company  shall  be  at  the  City  of 
Toronto,  in  the  Province  of  ( )ntario.  or  at  such  other  i)lace  in 
C"ana(la  as  the  Company  from  time  to  time  by  by-law  determines. 

5.  The  capital  stock  of  the  Company  shall  be  two  million 
dollars,  divided  into  shares  of  one  hundred  dollars  each,  and  may 
be  called  up  from  time  to  time  by  the  directors  as  they  deem 
necessary. 

6.  The  persons  named  in  the  third  section  of  this  Act  shall 
be  the  provisional  directors  of  the  Company. 

7.  So  soon  as  five  hundred  thousand  dollars  of  the  amount  of 
the  capital  stock  have  been  subscribed  and  fifty  thousand  dollars 
on  such  subscribed  stock  paid  into  one  of  the  chartered  banks  in 
Canada,  the  provisional  directors  or  a  majority  of  them  shall 
call  a  jj^eneral  meetinj,^  of  the  shareholders  to  be  held  at  the  said 
City  of  Toronto  or  at  such  other  i)lace  in  Canada  as  the  pro- 
visional directors  calling  such  meeting  determine,  for  the  ])ur- 
pose  of  electing  the  first  directors  of  the  Company  and  of  trans- 
acting any  other  business  that  may  ])e  done  at  a  shareholders' 
meeting;  and  notice  in  writing  signetl  by  or  on  behalf  of  the 
provisional  directors  or  a  majority  of  them  calling  such  meeting, 
of  the  date  and  i)Iace  of  holding  the  same,  mailed,  postage  ])re- 
])aid.  to  the  post  office  address  of  each  shareholder  not  less  than 
ten  days  previous  to  the  calling  of  such  meeting,  shall  be  deemed 
sufficient  notice  of  such  meeting. 

8.  The  Company  may — 

((/.)  Lay  out.  construct,  maintain  and  o])erate  a  canal  from 
some  point  on  Lake  St.  Clair,  in  the  Township  of  \orth  Tilbury, 
in  the  County  of  Essex,  or  in  the  Tovvnshi])  of  luist  Tilbury  or 
of  West  Dover,  in  the  County  of  Kent,  to  some  point  on  Lake 
Erie  between  Point  Pelee  and  Rondeau  Marbor.  of  such  dimen- 
sions as  to  make  and  con.stitute  a  navigable  channel  of  any  depth 
not  less  than  eighteen  feet  and  of  any  width  not  less  than  seventy- 
two  feet  at  the  bottom  of  the  said  channel; 

(b.)  Construct,  erect,  maintain,  and  o])erate  by  anv  kind  of 
motive  power  all  such  locks,  dams,  tcnv  paths,  branches,  basins. 
feeders  to  sui)ply  water  from  the  said  lakes,  or  from  any  rivers, 
creeks,  reservoirs,  cuttings,  apparatus,  appliances  and  machinery 


41 


as  may  he  (Icsirahlc  or  necessary  for  tlie  construction  and  opera- 
tion of  the  said  canal ; 

(c.)  I*2nte»  upon  and  tal<e  such  lands  as  are  necessary  and 
projjcr  for  the  niakinja:.  preserving?,  and  niaintainini?.  and  operat- 
inj,''  and  usin^-  the  canal  and  other  works  of  the  Company  herehy 
authcrized;  dij;",  cut.  trench,  jifet.  remove,  take,  carry  away,  and 
lay  earth,  clay,  stone,  soil,  ruhhish.  trees,  roots  of  trees,  heds  of 
j^ravel.  or  sand  or  any  other  matters  or  thiufjs  which  mav  hi-  duj;- 
or  got  in  making-  the  said  intended  canal  and  other  works,  on  or 
out  of  the  lands  or  grounds  of  any  person  or  ])ersons  adjoining 
or  lying  convenient  thereto,  and  which  may  be  proper,  recpusite. 
or  necessary  for  making  or  repairing  the  said  intended  canal  or 
the  works  incidental  or  relative  thereto,  or  which  may  hinder, 
prevent,  or  obstruct  the  making,  using  or  completing,  extending 
or  mantaining  the  same,  respectively,  according  to  the  intent  and 
])ur])ose  of  this  Act; 

((/.)  Make,  maintain  and  alter  any  places  or  passages  over, 
under  or  through  the  said  canal  or  its  connections; 

(c.)  ( )l)tain.  take  and  use.  during  the  construction  and  «tpera- 
tion  of  the  said  canal,  from  the  rivers,  lakes,  brooks,  streams, 
watercourses,  reservoirs  and  other  sources  of  water  su])ply  adja- 
cent or  near  to  said  canal,  water  sufficient  for  the  ])urposes  of 
constructing,  maintaining,  operating  and  using  the  said  canal 
and  works  hereby  authorized,  and  sufficient  to  establisii  and 
maintain  a  current  at  the  rate  on  the  average  of  three  miles  ])er 
hour  through  the  navigable  channel  of  the  canal;  and  the  L'om- 
l)any  shall  in  the  exercise  of  the  ])owers  by  this  ])aragrai)h 
granted  do  as  little  damage  as  possible,  and  shall  make  full  com- 
pensation to  all  persons  interested  for  all  damage  by  them  sus- 
tained by  reason  of  the  exercise  of  such  powers,  and  •^ucli  dam- 
age in  case  of  disagreement  shall  be  settletl  in  tlie  same  maimer  as 
is  |)rovided  for  fixing  compensation  under  the  provisions  of  The 
Raikcay  .let; 

if.)  Construct,  maintain,  and  operate  by  any  motive  power  a 
double  or  single  line  of  iron  or  of  steel  railway,  of  any  gauge  of 
not  less  than  three  feet,  along  or  near  the  side  or  sides  of  the  sai<l 
canal,  and  construct,  maintain  and  operate  branch  lines  thereof, 
connecting  all  or  any  of  the  towns  and  villages  within  fifteen  miles 


! 


42 


of  the  said  canal  in  the  said  Counties  ol  Essex  and  Kent  with 
the  said  canal ; 

(};.)  Ac((uire,  construct,  maintain  and  operate,  use  or  lease,  or 
otherwise  dispose  of.  terminals,  harbours,  wharves,  docks.  ])iers. 
elevators,  and  warehouses,  dry  docks  and  other  structures,  and 
building'  and  repairing  yards,  and  all  works  incidental  thereto, 
upon  the  said  canal  or  ui)on  lands  adjoining  or  near  the  same; 

(//.)  Ac{|uire,  lay  out  and  lease  or  otherwise  dispose  of  water 
lots  and  land,  and  use,  lease,  sell,  or  otherwise  dispose  of  water 
brought  by  or  for  the  said  canal  or  works  but  not  re(|uisite  for 
the  same;  construct,  luaintain  and  operate  works  for  and  ])roduce 
hydraulic,  electric,  natural  gas.  steam  and  other  power,  and  sell. 
lease,  supply  and  otherwise  dispose  of  light,  heat  and  ])ower  from 
the  same,  and  ])ropel  vessels  in  and  through  the  said  canal  by  the 
same  or  any  kind  of  force,  and  sell,  lease  or  otherwise  dispose  of 
the  said  works  or  any  of  them; 

(;.)  I'urchase,  construct,  complete,  fit  out,  charter,  and  repair, 
sell,  dispose  of,  work  and  control  vessels  to  ply  on  the  said  canal 
and  the  lakes,  rivers,  and  canals  connecting  therewith,  and  also 
make  arrangements  and  agreements  with  vessel  ])roprietors  by 
chartering  or  otherwise  to  ply  upon  the  said  canal,  lakes,  rivers 
and  canals; 

(/.)  Acc|uire  by  license,  purchase  or  otherwise,  the  right  to  use 
any  patented  invention  for  the  puri)oses  of  the  works  hereby 
authorized  and  again  dispose  of  the  same; 

ik.)  Construct,  make  and  do  all  such  matters  and  tilings  what- 
soever necessary  or  proper  for  the  making,  comn'-'in'  1  jji-op- 
erly  maintainitig  and  o])erating  the  said  c.'i  yi"g  out 

in  other  respects  the  objects  in  tl  «IU(       .  subject, 

however,  to  all  the  provisions  of  tli       ,cl. 

().     The  Company  may  construct,  eipiip.  <  perate  and  maintain. 
telegrai)h  and  telephone  lines  and  electric  bus  or  wires  or  pipes 
for  the    ])uri)ose    of    conveying  or  transmitting  messages,  ligli 
power  or  heat  along  the  whole  length  of  the  said  canal  and 
approrches  and  from  and  between  the  said  'vuv'  and  all  oi 
of  the  towns  and  villages  in  the  said  counties,  and  may  estabi     i 
offices  for  the  transmission  of  messages  for  the  public:  and  f(jr  i    e 


■"tfi.-^'H^Unj.l^^  I  JM'  t  .   « 


48 


ut 
ct, 


in. 

)0S 


purposes  of  iTc'ctiuj^  and  uorkinfj;^  sucli  tck'ifraph  and  tck'|)liono 
lines,  the  Company  may  enter  into  a  eontraet  or  eontraets  with 
any  other  company  or  companies. 

lo.  With  the  consent  of  the  municipal  council  havint;  juris- 
diction over  the  roads  and  streets  of  any  city,  town  <  r  inimici- 
palit\ ,  the  Company  may,  hy  their  servants,  a^'ents.  or  workmen. 
enter  up(  n  any  ])ul)lic  road,  hijj^hway,  street,  bridjj^e,  waterct)urse, 
navij^ahle  or  non-navitjable  water  or  other  such  places  in  any 
city,  incorporated  town,  villajj^e,  county,  munici])ality  or  other 
place,  for  the  purpose  of  constructintj,  erectinj.^,  e(|ui])])injr,  work- 
inj.j  and  inaintaininjj  their  line  or  lines  of  telejj^ra])h  and  telephone 
and  electric  lines  or  wires  upon,  alon*';',  across,  over  and  luider  the 
.same:  and  may  erect.  e(|uip  and  maintain  such  and  so  many  poles 
or  other  works  and  devices  as  the  Company  deem  necessary  for 
tnakinj;,  coinpletinj>-  and  supporting',  usin^-,  workinjjf  and  main- 
taining^ the  .sy.stem  of  connnunication  by  tele,t;ra])h  and  telephone 
and  electric  lines  or  wires,  and  may  stretch  wires  and  other  tele- 
j^raphic  and  telephonic  and  electric  contrivances  thereon:  and,  as 
often  as  the  Company,  their  at^^ents.  ofificers  or  workmen  think 
])roper.  may  break  up  and  open  any  part  of  the  said  public  roads, 
hijj^hvvays.  streets,  bridj'i'es,  watercourses,  navitjable  and  non-navi- 
ji^able  waters  and  other  like  ])laces.  subject,  however,  to  the  fol- 
lowing provisions,  that  is  to  say:— 

(a.)  The  Company  shall  not  interfere  with  the  i)ublic  rit:;-ht  of 
travelling"  on  or  using  such  public  roads,  higlnva\s,  streets, 
bridges  or  watercourses,  and  other  like  ])laces.  and  shall  not  do 
anv  unnecessarv  damage,  nor  in  any  way  obstruct  tlie  entrance 
to  any  door  or  gateway  or  free  access  to  any  building: 

(b.)  The  Com])any  shall  not  affix  any  wire  less  than  twenty- 
two  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  street  or  road,  nor  erect  more 
than  one  line  of  jioles  along  any  street  or  road  without  the  con- 
sent of  the  municipal  council  having  jurisdiction  over  the  roads 
or  streets  of  the  municipality; 

(c.)  In  all  nnmicipalities  the  poles  shall  be  as  nearly  as  jjossi- 
ble  .straight  and  penH-ndicular,  and  shall,  in  cities,  be  ])ainted.  if 
so  re(|uired  by  any  by-law  of  the  council: 

((/.)  Whcinever,  in  case  of  fire,  it  becomes  necessary  for  its 
extinction  or  in  the  preservation  of  property,  that  the  poles  or 


44 


wires  should  he  cut,  the  cuttinj^  under  such  circumstances  of  the 
poles  or  any  of  the  wires  of  tlie  Company,  under  the  direction  of 
the  chief  ent:;'ineer  or  otiier  officer  in  charjife  of  the  fire  brij^ade, 
shall  not  entitle  the  C(jmpany  to  demand  or  to  claim  compensa- 
tion for  any  damage  thereby  incurred; 

(('.)  The  Company  shall  be  res]M)nsible  for  all  damage  which 
their  agents,  servants  or  workmen  cause  to  individuals  or  ])roj)- 
erty  in  constructing,  carrying  out  or  maintaining  any  of  the  said 
works  in  this  or  the  next  ]ireceding  section  authorized; 

(/".)  The  Company  shall  not  cut  down  or  nnitilate  any  shade, 
fruit  or  ornamental  tree ; 

(g.)  In  all  munici])alities  the  opening  up  of  streets  for  die 
erection  of  poles,  or  for  carrying  the  wires  under  ground,  shall 
be  subject  to  the  direction  and  approval  of  such  engineer  or  other 
official  as  the  council  ai)points,  and  shall  be  done  in  such  maimer 
as  the  council  directs:  the  council  may  also  direct  and  designate 
the  places  where  the  poles  are  to  be  erected  in  such  municipality; 
and  tlie  surface  of  die  street  shall  in  all  cases  be  restored  as  far 
as  i)ossible  to  its  former  condition  by  and  at  the  expense  of  the 
Company ; 

(7i.)  Xo  Act  of  I'arliaiiient  re(|uiring  the  Company,  in  case 
efficient  means  are  devised  for  carrying  telegraph  or  telephone 
wires  under  ground,  tn  adopt  such  means,  and  abrogating  the 
right  given  by  this  section  to  continue  carrying  lines  on  poles 
through  cities,  ttnvns,  or  incorporated  villages,  shall  be  deemed 
an  infringement  of  the  ])rivileges  granted  by  this  Act,  and  the 
Com])aiiy  shall  not  be  entitled  to  damages  thcrefo'": 

(/.)  Xo  person  shall  labour  upon  tlu'  work  of  erecting  or  re- 
pairing any  line  or  instniment  of  the  Coiii])any.  witliout  having 
conspicuously  attached  to  his  dress  a  medal  or  badgi-  on  which 
shall  l)e  legibly  inscribed  the  name  of  the  Company  and  a  number 
by  which  he  can  be  readily  identified; 

(/'.)  Xothing  herein  contained  sliall  be  deemed  to  authorize 
the  Company,  their  servants,  workmen  or  agents,  to  enter  upon 
any  private  property  for  the  purpose  of  erecting,  maintaining  or 
reiiairing  any  i»f  tlieir  works,  without  the  previous  assent  of  the 
owner  or  occupant  of  the  property  for  tiie  time  being; 


45 


rv- 
I  I'll 

l)Cl' 

li/A' 
|)on 
ov 
Itho 


(A'.)  If  in  the  removal  of  liuildings.  or  if  in  the  i)uhhc  right 
of  traveHng  on  or  using  any  puhhc  road,  highway  or  street,  it 
becomes  necessary  that  the  said  wires  or  ])oles  be  temporarily 
removed,  it  sh-'ll  be  the  duty  of  the  Company,  at  its  own  expense, 
ujKjn  reasonable  notice  in  writing  from  any  person  recjuiring  the 
same,  to  remove  such  wires  or  jjoles,  and  in  default  of  the  Coni- 
])any  so  doing,  it  shall  be  lawful  for  any  such  person  to  remove 
the  same  at  the  expense  of  the  Com])any,  doing  no  unnecessary 
damage  thereby;  such  notice  may  be  given  at  the  head  office  of 
the  Company  or  to  any  agent  or  ofificer  of  the  Com])any  in  the 
nnmicipality  wherein  such  wires  or  ptjles  are  recpiired  to  be  le- 
moved,  or  in  the  case  of  a  municipality  wherein  there  is  no  such- 
agent  or  officer  of  the  Company  then  either  at  the  said  head 
office  or  to  any  agent  or  officer  of  the  Company  in  the  nearest 
or  any  adjt)ining  municipality  to  that  in  which  such  wires  or  poles 
re(|uire  to  be  removed. 

11.  The  Company  may  enter  into  arrangements  with  any 
other  telegrai)h  or  telephone  company  for  the  exchange  and 
transmission  of  messages,  or  for  the  working  in  wliole  or  in  ])art 
of  the  lines  of  the  Company. 

12.  The  Company  shall  make  due  ])rovision  for,  take  care  and 
dispose  of,  all  water  and  drainage,  to  tb.e  extent  to  which  it  dis- 
turbs or  interferes  therewith,  whether  fn.Jin  artificial  drain.-;,  nat- 
ural streams  or  watercourses,  which  drains,  natural  .streams  or 
watercourses  the  said  canal  crosses,  touches  or  interferes  with 
and  which  are  in  existence  at  the  time  of  the  construction  of  the 
said  canal. 

2.  All  subsequent  ([uestions,  dis])utes  or  comi)laints  as  to  the 
construction  of  new  dmins  and  as  to  the  alteration,  enlargement 
and  change  of  existing  drains  and  of  natural  streams  or  water- 
courses, and  as  to  who  shall  make  such  alteration,  enlargement 
and  change,  ami  by  whom  the  expense  thereof  sh;dl  be  paid,  and 
also  anv  complaint  or  dispute  as  to  the  manner  or  sufficiency  of 
the  comi)liance  with  the  provisions  of  the  next  preceding  sub- 
section, shall  be  entpiired  into,  heard  and  determined  by  the 
Railway  Connnittee  of  the  Privy  C"ouncil  in  the  same  manner 
as  is  provided  for  other  matters  to  be  encpiired  into,  heard  and 
determined  bv  the  said  Connnittee  under  The  RailMiy  Act. 


ISF'3? 


mmmmm 


46 

13.  When  the  Company  and  the  owners  or  occupants  of  priv- 
vate  property  entered  upon  cannot  agree  as  to  the  compensation 
for  lands  required  for  the  construction  or  maintenance  of  any 
\v(jrk  audiorized  under  this  Act,  or  for  damages  to  lands  injured 
thereby,  the  matter  shall  be  settled  in  the  same  manner  as  is  pro- 
vided for  obtaining  title  and  fixing  compensation  under  The 
Raik\.'ay  Act  so  far  as  the  same  may  be  applicable; 

2.  In  this  section  and  in  sections  eight  and  ten  the  expression 
"lands"  means  the  lands  the  ac(|uiring,  taking  or  using  of  which 
is  incident  to  the  exercise  of  the  pcjwers  given  by  this  Act,  and 
includes  real  i)roperty,  messuages,  lands,  tenements  and  heredita- 
ments of  any  tenure. 

14.  In  case  oi  any  accident  re(juiring  immediate  repair  on  the 
saitl  canal  or  any  part  thereof,  the  Company,  their  agents  or 
workmen  may  enter  upon  the  adjoining  land  (not  being  an 
orchard  or  garden)  and  dig  for.  work,  get  and  carry  away  and  use 
all  such  gravel,  stone,  earth,  clay  or  odier  materials  as  may  be 
necessary  for  the  repair  of  the  accident  aforesaid,  doing  as  little 
damage  as  may  be  to  such  land  and  making  com])ensation  there- 
for; and  in  case  of  dispute  or  difference  regarding  the  amount  to 
be  so  paid,  the  same  sliall  be  decided  by  arbitration  as  provided 
in  77/f'  Raih^'ay  Act:  but  l)efore  entering  ui)on  any  land  for  the 
purposes  aforesaid,  the  Comjiany  shall,  in  case  the  consent  of 
the  owner  is  not  obtained  thereto,  pay  into  the  oflfice  of  one  of 
the  superior  courts  for  the  Province  of  Ontario,  such  sum  with 
interest  thereon  for  six  months  as  is  fixed,  on  the  cx-partc  appli- 
cation of  the  Company,  by  a  judge  of  the  county  court  in  which 
such  lands  are  situate. 

15.  The  Company  may  open,  cut  and  direct  such  ponds  and 
l)asins  for  the  laying  up  and  turning  of  vessels  using  the  said 
canal,  and  at  such  ])oints  thereon  as  they  deem  expedient,  and 
may  also  build  and  erect  such  dry  docks,  slips  and  machinery 
connected  therewith  for  the  hauling  out  and  rei)airing  of  vessels 
as  they  think  proper,  and  may  lease  or  hire  the  same  on  such 
terms  as  they  deem  expedient,  or  may  o])erate  the  same  by  their 
servaiUs  or  agents,  as  the  Company  shall  decide  from  time  to 
time. 


i 


V 


47 


V 


|o 


i6.  Tlio  Company  shall  at  each  and  every  place  where  the  said 
canal  crosses  any  railway,  hij^hway,  or  puhlic  road  (nnlcss 
exempted  from  the  provisions  of  this  section,  as  far  as  any  high- 
way or  public  n)ad  is  concerned,  by  the  municipality  having 
jurisdiction  over  such  highway  or  public  road)  construct  and 
maintain  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Governor  in  Council  bridges 
for  ])assage  over  the  said  canal,  so  that  the  public  thoroughfare 
or  railway  may  be  as  little  imjjeded  as  reasonably  may  be;  and 
the  Company  shall  not  ui  making  the  said  canal  cut  througli  or 
interrupt  the  jiassage  on  any  highway  or  public  road  until  they 
have  made  a  convenient  road  past  their  works  for  the  use  of  the 
l)ublic;  and  for  every  day  on  which  they  shall  neglect  to  comply 
with  the  recjuirenients  of  this  section  the  Company  shall  incur 
a  penalty  of  one  hundred  dollars. 

17.  The  land,  ground  nr  property  to  be  taken  or  used  without 
the  consent  of  the  pro])rietors  for  the  said  canal  and  works,  and 
tlfe  ditches,  drains  and  fences  to  separate  the  same  from  the  ad- 
joining lands,  shall  not  together  exceed  one  thousand  feel  in 
breadth,  except  in  places  where  basins  and  other  works  are 
recpiired  to  be  cut  or  made  as  necessary  parts  of  the  canal  as 
shown  on  the  i)lan  to  be  approved  as  hereinafter  provided  by  the 
Ciovernor  in  Council. 

18.  Ik'fore  the  Company  breaks  ground  or  commences  the 
construction  of  the  canal  or  any  of  the  works  hereby  autliorized, 
the  i)lans,  locations,  dimensions,  and  all  necessary  i)articulars  of 
the  canal  and  other  works,  including  a  guard  lock  or  gate  at  tlie 
Lake  .St.  Clair  entrance  of  the  said  canal,  shall  be  submitted  to 
and  receive  the  a])i)roval  of  the  ( Invernor  in  Council. 

19.  The  annual  general  meeting  of  the  shareholders  shall  be 
held  on  the  first  Tuesday  in  I'ebruary  in  each  year. 

20.  At  the  first  meeting  of  shareholders,  and  at  each  annual 
meeting,  the  subscribers  for  capital  stock  assembled  who  liave 
l)aid  all  calls  due  on  their  shares  shall  choose  five  i)ersons  to  be 
directors  of  the  Company,  each  of  whom  shall  hold  at  least 
twenty  shares  of  the  capital  stock  of  the  Company,  tiie  majority 
of  whom  shall  form  a  quorum,  and  one  or  more  of  whom  may 
be  paid  directors  of  the  Company. 


2.  The  directors  elected  at  the  first  meeting  of  shareholders 
shall  hold  office  only  until  the  first  annual  meeting  of  the  Com- 
pany. 

21.  In  addition  to  the  general  powers  to  make  by-laws  under 
The  Railway  Act,  the  Company  may,  subject  to  the  approval  of 
the  Governor  in  Council,  make  by-laws,  rules  or  regulations  for 
the  following  purjjoses,  that  is  to  say: 

(a.)  For  regulating  the  speed  at  which,  and  the  mode  by 
which,  vessels  using  the  Company's  works  are  to  be  propelled; 

(b.)  VoT  regulating  the  hours  of  arrival  and  departure  of  such 
vessels ;  ,  * 

(r.)  For  regulating  the  loading  or  unloading  of  such  vessels 
and  the  draught  thereof: 

(rf.)  P\:»r  preventing  the  smoking  of  tobacco  upon  the  works, 
the  bringing  into  (jr  upon  the  i)r<)perty  of  the  Company  of  dan- 
gerous or  deleterious  substances,  and  for  the  i)ro])er  care  and 
preservati(jn  of  the  Company's  property: 

(('.)  I 'or  regulating  the  travelling  and  transportation  upon  and 
the  using  and  the  working  of  the  canal : 

if.)  For  regulating  the  conduct  of  the  officers,  servants,  and 
employes  of  the  Company; 

(g.)  For  the  maintaining,  preserving  and  using  the  canal  and 
all  other  works  hereljy  authorized  to  be  constructed  or  connected 
tlierewith,  and  for  the  governing  of  all  persons  and  vessels  i)ass- 
ing  through  the  said  canal;  and 

(//.)  For  providing  for  the  due  management  of  the  affairs  of 
the  Company  in  all  respects. 

22.  The  Company  m.  -  issue  and  pledge  or  dispose  of  bonds, 
debentures  or  <jther  secui.iies  as  j^rovitled  in  The  Railway  .let,  to 
tile  extent  in  all  of  eight  million  dollars,  and  may  issue  such 
bonds,  debentures  or  other  such  securities,  in  one  or  more  sej)- 
arate  series,  and  limit  the  security  f(»r  any  series  to  such  of  the 
franchises,  i)roperty,  assets,  rents  and  revenues  of  the  Company, 
present  or  future,  or  both,  as  are  described  in  the  mortgage 
deed  made  to  secure  each  separate  series  of  bonds,  debentures  or 
other  securities;  and  everv  such  limited  series  of  such  bonds,  de- 


bentures  or  other  securities,  if  so  issued,  shall,  subject  to  the  pro- 
visions contained  in  section  ninety-four  of  The  Raili^iay  Act,  form 
a  first  charge  upon,  and  be  limited  to,  the  particular  franchises, 
l^roperty,  assets,  rents  and  revenues  of  the  Company  with  respect 
to  which  they  are  issued  and  which  shall  be  described  in  the  mort- 
gage deed  made  to  secure  the  same. 

23.  The  Omipany  may  from  time  to  time  ask.  demand,  take 
and  recover  to  and  for  their  own  ])roper  use,  for  all  i)assengers 
and  goods  transported  upon  the  said  canal  or  vessels  using  the 
same,  such  tolls  as  the  Company  or  its  directors  from  time  to 
time  by  by-law  determine;  and  no  tolls  of  any  description  shall 
be  levied  or  taken  upon  the  said  canal,  until  the  same  are  ap- 
proved of  by  the  Governor  in  Council,  nor  until  after  two  weekly 
publications  in  the  Canada  Caactfc  of  such  by-law  and  of  the  order 
in  council  ai)proving  thereof. 

2.  All  tolls  shall  under  the  same  circumstances  be  charged 
ecpially  to  all  persons  and  upon  all  vessels  and  gfjods:  and  no 
reduction  or  advance  on  any  such  tolls  shall  be  made  either 
directly  or  indirectly  against  any  i)articular  i)ers(in  or  company 
using  the  said  canal. 

24.  Every  by-law  fixing  and  regulating  tolls  with  respect  to 
the  said  canal  shall  be  subject  to  revision  by  the  ( iovernor  in 
Council  from  time  to  time  after  approval  theretif  and  after  an 
order  in  council  altering  the  tolls  fixed  and  regulated  by  any 
bv-law  has  been  twice  published  in  the  Canada  Carjcttc,  the  tolls 
mentioned  m  such  order  in  council  shall  be  substituted  for  those 
mentioned  in  the  by-law,  so  long  as  the  order  in  council  remains 
unrevoked. 

25.  The  Company  shall  from  time  to  time  cause  to  be  ])rinte(l 
and  posted  up  in  its  offices  and  in  every  place  where  the  tolls  are 
to  be  collected,  in  some  conspicuous  posiiion,  a  i)rinted  board  or 
paper  exhibiting  all  the  rates  of  tolls  payable  and  particularizing 
the  i)rice  or  sum  of  money  to  be  charged  or  taken. 

26.  Such  tolls  shall  be  paid  to  such  persons  and  at  such  i)laces 
near  to  the  canal,  in  such  manner,  and  under  such  regulations  as 
the  bv-laws  direct. 


1  .»:>.' 


2"].  The  C()nii)aiiy  shall  not  make  or  jjivc  any  secret  special 
toll,  rate,  rebate,  drawback,  or  concession  to  any  person;  and  the 
Company  shall  on  the  demand  of  any  i)erson  make  known  to 
iiini  any  special  rate,  rebate,  drawback  or  concession  given  to 
any  one. 

28.  In  case  of  denial  or  neglect  of  payment  on  demand  of 
any  such  tolls  or  any  part  thereof,  the  same  shall  be  recoverable 
in  any  court  of  competent  jurisdiction ;  and  the  agents  or  ser- 
vants of  the  Company  may  seize  the  vessel  or  goods  for  or  with 
respect  to  which  such  tolls  are  payable,  and  may  detain  the  same 
until  payment  thereof,  and  in  the  meantime  the  said  vessel  or 
goods  shall  be  at  the  risk  of  the  owners  therecjf. 

2(>  If  the  t(jlls  are  not  paid  within  six  weeks  from  the  time  of 
such  detainer  the  Company  may  sell  by  public  auction  the  vessel 
or  the  whole  or  any  j^art  of  such  goods,  and  out  of  the  moneys 
arising  from  such  sale  retain  the  tolls  ])ayable  and  all  reasonable 
charges  and  exjjenses  of  such  seizure,  detention  and  sale,  and 
shall  deliver  the  suri)lus.  if  any,  or  die  vessel  or  such  of  the  goods 
as  remain  unsold,  to  the  person  entitled  thereto. 

30.  If  anv  vessel  or  goods  remain  in  the  possession  of  the 
Company  unclaimed  for  the  space  of  twelve  nu)nths,  the  Com- 
l)any  may  thereafter  and  on  giving  public  notice  thereof  by  ad- 
vertisement for  six  weeks  in  the  ofificial  gazette  of  the  province 
in  which  such  vessel  or  g(jods  are,  and  in  such  other  newspa])er 
as  it  deems  necessary,  sell  such  vessel  or  goods  by  public  auction 
at  a  time  and  ])lace  which  shall  be  mentioned  in  such  advertise- 
ment, and  out  of  the  proceeds  thereof  pay  such  t(jlls  and  all  rea- 
sonable charges  for  keeping,  storing,  advertising  and  selling  such 
vessel  or  goods,  and  the  balance  of  the  proceeds,  if  any,  shall  be 
kept  by  the  Company  for  a  further  period  of  three  months  to  be 
paid  over  to  any  person  entitled  thereto. 

31.  In  default  of  such  balance  being  claimed  before  the  expi- 
ration of  the  time  last  aforesaid,  it  shall  be  paid  over  to  the  Min- 
ister of  I'inance  and  Receiver  General  for  the  public  uses  of 
Canada  until  claimed  by  the  person  entitled  thereto. 

32.  In  all  cases  where  there  is  a  fraction  of  a  mile  in  the  dis- 
tance which  vessels,  rafts,  goods,  wares,  merchandise  or  other 
connnodities  or  passengers  shall  be  conveyed  or  transported  on 


I    ; 


m. 


} 


the  said  canal,  such  fraction  shall,  in  ascertaining  the  said  rates, 
be  deemed  and  considered  as  a  \vlK)le  mile;  and  in  all  cases 
where  there  is  a  fraction  of  a  ton  in  the  weight  of  any  such  goods, 
wares,  merchandise  and  other  commodities,  a  proportion  of  the 
said  rates  shall  he  demanded  and  taken  by  the  Company  calcu- 
lated upon  the  number  of  cpiarters  of  a  ton  contained  therein; 
and  in  all  cases  where  there  is  a  fraction  of  a  quarter  of  a  ton, 
such  fraction  shall  be  deemed  and  considered  as  a  whole  (puirter 
of  a  ton. 

33.  Every  vessel  using  the  said  canal  shall  have  her  draught 
of  water  legibly  marked,  in  figures  of  not  less  than  si.x  inches 
long,  frcim  <jne  foot  to  her  greatest  draught,  upon  the  stem  and 
stern  ])()sts;  and  any  wilful  misstatement  of  such  figures  so  as  to 
mislead  the  officers  of  the  Comjjany  as  to  any  vessel's  true 
draught  shall  be  punishable  as  an  indictable  offense  on  the  part 
of  the  owner  and  master  of  such  vessel,  and  the  Company  may 
detain  any  such  vessel  upon  which  incorrect  figures  of  draught 
are  found,  until  the  same  are  corrected  at  tlie  expense  of  her 
owner. 

34.  Every  owner  or  master  of  a  vessel  navigating  the  said 
canal  shall  permit  it  to  be  gauged  and  measured,  and  every  such 
owner  or  master  who  rehises  to  permit  the  .same  shall  forfeit  and 
pay  the  sum  of  two  hundred  dollars;  and  the  proper  offices  of  the 

,  Company  may  gauge  and  measure  all  vessels  using  the  said 
canal,  and  his  decision  shall  be  final  with  respect  to  the  tolls  to 
be  paid  thereon,  and  he  may  mark  the  tonnage  or  measurement 
on  every  vessel  using  the  said  canal;  and  sucli  measure  so 
marked  by  him  shall  always  be  evidence  resi)ecting  the  tonnage 
in  all  (piestions  respecting  the  t(jlls  or  dues  to  be  ])ai<l  to  tlie 
Comjjany  by  virtue  thereof. 

35.  The  Com])any  shall  at  all  times  when  thereunto  re(|uired 
by  the  Postmaster-Cieneral  of  Canada,  the  Commander  of  the 
Forces,  or  any  person  having  the  superintendence  or  conunand  of 
any  police  force,  carry  Her  Majesty's  mails.  Her  .Majesty's  naval  or 
military  forces,  or  militia,  and  all  artillery,  annnunition,  ])rovis- 
ions  or  odier  stores  for  their  use.  anil  all  policemen,  constables 
and  others  travelling  on  Her  Majesty's  service  on  the  said  canal, 


on  such  terms  and  conditions  and  under  such  refjulations  as  the 
(iovernor  in  Council  appoints  and  declares. 

36.  The  Company  may  receive  in  aid  of  the  construction  ^of 
the  said  canal  or  (Jther  works  from  any  person  or  body  corporate, 
municipal  or  politic  having  power  to  grant  the  same,  any  gift  or 
grant  of  land,  money,  debentures,  property,  concession  or  other 
benefit  of  any  sort,  either  with  or  without  conditions,  and  may 
enter  into  an  agreetnent  for  the  carrying  out  of  any  such  condi- 
tions or  with  respect  thereto. 

37.  Any  enactments  which  the  Parliament  of  Canada  here- 
after deems  it  expedient  to  make,  or  any  order  which  the  Gov- 
ernor in  Council  deems  it  expedient  tt)  pass,  with  regard  t«j  the 
exclusive  use  of  the  canal  by  the  Government  at  any  time,  or  the 
carriage  of  Her  Majesty's  mails  or  Her  Majesty's  forces  and 
other  persons  or  articles,  or  the  rates  to  be  paid  for  carrying  the 
same,  or  in  any  way  respecting  the  use  of  any  electric  telegraph 
or  other  service  to  be  rendered  by  the  Company  to  the  (iovem- 
ment.  shall  not  be  deemed  an  infringement  of  the  ])rivileges  con- 
ferred by  this  Act. 

38.  The  Company  shall  within  six  months  after  any  lands 
shall  be  taken  for  the  use  of  the  said  canal  divide  and  separate, 
and  shall  keep  constantly  divided  and  separated,  the  lands  so 
taken  from  the  lands  or  grounds  adjoining  thereto  with  a  suffi- 
cient post  and  rail,  hedge,  ditch,  bank,  or  other  kind  of  fence 
sufficient  to  keej)  ofif  hogs,  sheep  and  cattle,  to  be  set  and  made  on 
the  lands  or  grounds  purchased  by.  conveyed  to.  or  vested  in  the 
Company  as  aforesaid,  and  shall  at  their  own  cost  and  charges 
from  time  to  time  maintain.  sup])t)rt  and  keep  in  sufficient  repair 
the  said  posts,  fences,  rails,  hedges,  ditches,  trenches,  banks  and 
other  fences  so  set  up  and  made  as  aforesaid. 

39.  So  socjn  as  conveniently  may  be  after  the  said  canal  is 
completed,  the  Company  shall  cause  it  to  be  measured,  and 
stones  or  i)t)sts.  with  j^roper  inscription  on  the  sides  thereof  denot- 
ing the  distances,  to  be  erected  and  maintained  at  distances  con- 
venient from  each  other. 

40.  Every  person  who  obstructs,  interrupts  or  impedes  the 
navigation  of  said  canal,  or  interferes  with  any  of  the  works 


53 


n% 


helonp^ing  thorcto,  by  the  introduction  of  any  timber  or  vessels 
(jr  any  (^her  substance,  or  by  any  other  means  contrary  to  the 
provisions  of  this  Act  or  of  the  by-laws  of  the  Company,  shall  for 
every  such  ofYence  incur  a  penalty  not  to  exceed  four  hundred 
dollars,  one-half  of  which  penalty  shall  go  to  the  Comi)any  and 
the  other  half  to  Her  Majesty. 

41.  If  any  vessel  is  sunk  or  j:jrounded  in  any  i)art  of  the  said 
canal  or  in  any  approach  thereto,  and  if  the  owner  or  master 
thereof  neglects  or  refuses  to  remove  it  forthwith,  the  Company 
may  forthwith  proceed  to  have  it  raised  or  removed,  and  may 
retain  possession  of  it  until  the  charges  and  expenses  necessarily 
incurred  by  the  Ccnnpany  in  so  raising  and  removing  it  are  paid 
and  satisfied;  and  the  Company  may  sue  for  and  rec(jver  in  any 
court  of  competent  jurisdiction  such  charges  and  expenses  from 
the  owner  or  master  of  such  vessel. 

42.  All  actions  or  suits  for  indenmity  for  any  damages  or 
injury  sustained  by  reason  of  the  railway,  canal,  or  otlier  works 
authorized  by  this  Act.  shall  be  connnenced  within  one  year  next 
after  the  time  when  such  sui)])osed  damage  is  sustained,  or  if 
there  is  continuation  of  damage,  within  one  year  next  afterwards; 
and  the  defendants  may  ])lead  the  general  issue  and  give  The 
h'itihnii/  Act  and  this  Act  and  the  special  matter  in  evidence  at 
any  trial  to  be  had  thereui)on,  and  may  j^rove  that  the  same  was 
done  in  jiursuance  of  and  by  the  authority  of  The  /'((ilirmi  Act 
or  of  this  Act. 

43.  Her  Majesty,  her  heirs  and  successors,  m.ay  at  any  time 
assume  the  possession  and  property  of  the  said  canal  and  works, 
and  of  all  the  rights,  privileges  and  advantages  of  the  Company, 
all  of  which  shall  after  such  assum])tion  bt-  vesteil  in  I  ler  Majesty, 
her  heirs  and  successors,  on  giving  to  tlie  Company  one  week's 
notice  thereof  and  on  paying  to  the  Companx  the  value  of  tlie 
same,  to  be  fixed  by  tliree  arbitrators  or  the  majority  of  them, 
one  to  be  chosen  by  the  (iovernment,  another  bx  the  Company 
and  a  third  arbitrator  by  the  two  arbitrators;  and  the  arbitrators 
mav  in  such  valuation  take  into  account  the  expenditure  of  the 
Comi^anv,  its  i)roperty,  the  business  of  the  canal  and  other  works 
hereby  authorized,  and  their  past,  present  and  pros])ective  busi- 
ness, with  interest  from  the  time  of  the  investment  thereof. 


54 


44-  Tf  the  construction  of  the  canal  hereby  authorized  to  be 
constructed  is  not  connnenced  within  two  years  after  the  passinjj; 
of  this  Act,  or  if  the  said  canal  is  not  finished  and  put  in  operation 
within  five  years  after  the  passing  lA  this  Act,  then  the  ])owers 
ja^ranted  by  this  Act  shall  cease  and  be  null  and  void  as  respects 
so  much  of  the  said  canal  as  then  remains  uncomi)lcted. 

45.  Tlir  Rdilinuj  .1(7  shall  apply  to  the  exercise  of  the  powers 
conferred  on  the  Com])any  under  the  provisions  of  paragraph  (f) 
of  section  eij^^ht  of  this  Act. 

46.  77/f'  h'ailiraf/  Act  shall,  so  far  as  applicable,  and  when  not 
inconsistent  with  the  provisions  of  this  Act,  and  except  sections 
three  to  twenty-five  inclusive,  thirty-six,  thirty-seven,  thirty-eight, 
eig-hty-nine.  one  hundred  and  three,  one  hundred  and  four,  one 
hundred  and  five,  one  hundred  and  twelve,  one  hundred  and  six- 
teen, one  hundretl  and  twenty,  one  hundred  and  twenty-one,  one 
hundred  and  seventy-three  to  one  hundred  and  seventy-seven 
inclusive,  one  hundred  and  seventy-nine,  one  hundred  and  eighty, 
one  hundred  and  eighty-two  to  one  hundred  and  ninety-nine, 
inclusive,  two  hundred  and  nine,  two  hundred  and  ten,  two  hun- 
dred and  fourteen,  two  hundred  and  twenty-three  to  two  hundred 
and  sixty-four  inclusive,  two  hundred  and  seventy-one  to  two 
hundred  and  seventy-four  inclusive,  two  hundred  and  seventy-six 
to  two  hundred  and  ninety-seven  inclusive,  and  three  hundred  and 
six  to  three  hundred  and  eight  inclusive,  apply  to  the  Company, 
and  to  the  canal  and  works  of  the  Company,  except  the  railways 
authorized  under  the  provisions  of  paragra])h  (/')  of  section  eight 
of  this  Act;  and  the  Comi)any  shall  liave  and  may  exercise  all  the 
powers  conferred  by  Tin'  h'aihrai/  .l<7.  in  so  far  as  the  said  Act 
is  applicable  to  the  Company  hereby  incorjjorated. 

2.  Wherever  in  Tlir  liailinii/  Act  the  expression  "railway" 
occurs  it  shall,  unless  the  context  otherwise  re(|uires.  in  so  tar  as 
it  ai)plies  to  tlie  provisions  of  this  Act  or  to  the  Company,  mean 
the  "canal  or  other  works"  hereby  authorized  to  be  constructed. 

47-  'riir  ('oiiiiKlni(K('lan.s<s  Acf  shall  not  apply  to  this  Act  or 
to  the  Com])any. 


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\oLUME  AND  XALn-L  OF  C( ).MM i:kck  ruir.r'iARv 

TO  AX  EXLAR(JED  WATERWAY  SYSTEM. 


James  Fisher,  O.  ('.,  M.  V.  P.,  Winiiipe^^,  Canada. 

F^irst  Annual  Convention  of  the   International  Deep  \\'ater\va\  s 
Association,  Cleveland.  Sept.  24,  25,  26.  i8(j5. 

In  furtherance  of  the  iini>ortant  object  for  which  XI-.'  Interna- 
tional Dee])  Waterways  Association  was  created,  it  was  scarcely 
necessary,  perhaps,  that  anyone  should  have  been  charged  with 
the  task  of  preparing-  a  paper  discussing-  the  volume  and  value  of 
the  conmierce  tributary  to  an  enlar^rd  waterway  in  connection 
with  the  5^reat  lakes  route.  If  there  is  one  subject  more  than 
another  in  the  interesting  prog-ranuiie  before  us  ujxin  which  not 
only  members  of  this  association,  but  the  ])ul)lic  at  lari;c,  are 
already  pretty  fully  informed,  it  i>^  surely  this  one.  Thanks  to  the 
activity  anfl  enterprise  of  an  omuiscient  press,  everywhere  circu- 
lated and  universally  read,  the  means  of  knowledjrc  ui)tin  this 
subject  are  always  at  our  dis])osal.  Day  after  d  ■  the  newspa])ers 
and  other  jjcriodicals  furnish  us  with  iacts  and  tiiiures  bearinjj;' 
upon  the  growth  of  commerce  due  to  the  past  enlargement  "f  the 
water  channels.  Tliese  facts  and  figures  .ire  put  up  U<y  us  in  the 
most  ex]>ressive  form  that  the  wi  -lum  of  ihe  brightt'st  minds  r;ui 
suggest. 

(  )ur  blue  books  and  i)ublic  rep(>rt>  suppl\  tliem  in  full  (ktail. 
Our  trade  returns  and  conunercial  bulletms  are  ladi'u  with  state- 
ments brimfull  of  information  on  the  subject  as  instructive  a>  it  is 
complete  and  accurate.  I'.xpert  statisticians  and  learnid  political 
eciiuomists  present  us  every  il;i\  w'tli  stateiuiMUs  classifying  in 
I'verv  varii't\  the  iruits  of  our  soil  and  the  products  n*  our  indus- 
tries. 

The\  exhibit  the  growth  of  our  farming  interests;  the  develo])- 
nient  of  out  mines;  the  product  of  our  lisheries:  and  tlu'  \ield  of 
oiu-  forests,  as  well  a.^  the  otitcome  of  our  extensive  maiuilactories. 
'j'hev  chronicle  for  our  edification  the  movement  of  .ill  these  pro- 


56 


ducts,  and  the  cost  thereof,  by  sea  and  lancl,  over  lake  and  rail. 
They  furnish  us  with,  comparative  statements  of  results  in  the  i)ur- 
suit  of  each  department  of  industry  under  every  conceivable  con- 
dition. They  de<luce  valuable  lessons  for  our  guidance,  drawn 
from  an  expert  study  of  the  various  causes,  natural,  political  and 
economic,  that  stimulate  or  retard  production,  raise  or  lower 
prices,  and  lessen  or  increase  the  cost  of  hauliui;'  and  marketing'. 
I'rom  helps  such  as  these,  we  have  already  such  a  knowled_u^e  of 
the  commerce  under  discussion  as  convinces  us  that  the  ,s;reatest 
need  of  the  day  in  connection  therewith  is  cheap  transportation. 
It  convinces  us,  too.  that  the  f^^reatest  factor  in  securins^  that  cheaj) 
transportation,  in  the  I'nited  States  and  Canada,  is  the  improve- 
ment of  our  means  for  transportation  by  water. 

Interest  in  our  ])roceedinj^s  to-day  chiefly  centers,  therefore, 
not  in  the  subject  of  this  i)a])er,  but  rather  in  the  discussion  of 
(fuestions  affecting-  the  ])ractical)ility.  cost,  ca])arit\-,  aiid  means 
for  construction,  of  deeper  channel  .-dung  the  different  mutes 
that  mav  be  suggested.  \\u\  niir  irresistible  executive  secretar\ 
decreed  that  such  a  paper  as  this  nmst  be  prepared.  And  how 
could  a  loyal  Canadian,  trained  to  the  habits  of  submission  that 
life  under  monarchical  instituti<in>  inculcates,  fail  to  obey  the  fiat 
of  the  persuasive  gentleman  from  Superior,  wiio  is  indeed  the 
very  life  and  >oul  of  our  growing  movement,  the  "i'lower"  of  our 
association? 

I  undertook  the  task,  tlirrtforc.  realizing",  however,  thai  al  all 
e\ents  it  in\olved  no  original  researcii  or  painstaking  iinestig;)- 
tioii  on  my  part,  but  simply  a  fi'w  hom-s"  delvitig  into  tiie  maga- 
zines and  books  and  ;i  wholesale  appn>p,  i.'tion  of  the  labor  of 
others. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  submit  any  long  ;nta\  of  figiuvs  or  to 
l)ro(luce  elaboratt'  statistics  touching  the  i'\lent  of  iln'  commerce 
of  tile  lake  region  am!  its  connection>.  i  will  simpK  mentioti  a 
tew  salient  facts,  of  a  general  character,  touching  its  growth,  and 
call  attention  to  somr  significant  teatnres  in  coimection  tiu'reuith, 
and  with  the  conditions  of  that  legion.  that  may  serve  to  empha- 
size the  great  importaiici'  not  oid\  of  enlarging  the  chann<'ls 
leading  from  tlu'  lakes  to  the  sea.  i)Ut  of  I'ventually  extending  a 
system  of  canals  farther  imo  the   interior. 


67 


When  one  looks  at  the  enormous  movement  of  commerce  on 
this  continent,  and'  niai<es  a  comparison  between  this  and  other 
lands,  one  of  the  first  thouj^hts  that  strike  him  is  the  vastness  of 
our  domestic  commerce.  Especially  is  this  true  of  the  I'nited 
States  of  America.  There  is  no  country  in  the  world  that  has 
such  an  extent  of  domestic  traffic  as  you  have  in  this  favored 
land.  The  remark  is  fairly  true  also  of  Canada.  In  the  two 
countries  we  have  a  ])opulation  of  about  75,000.000  of  souls,  com- 
posed of  the  busiest  ]>eoples,  the  most  ijnji^ressive  communities, 
and  the  most  intellij^ent  artisans  and  workers  on  the  face  of  the 
wide  earth. 

The  product  of  all  the  industries  carried  on  by  a  population  so 
larg-e  and  of  such  a  character,  is  necessarily  greater  than  that  of  an 
e(|ual  number  of  less  i)rog-ressive  peo])les.  The  wants  of  sucli  a 
peoi)le.  too,  where  civilization  has  attained  its  hifjhest  form  and 
where  wealth  has  lar_ti;-ely  accunnilated.  are  e(|ually  tjreat  in  com- 
parison with  less  favored  countries.  Alto.y;ether,  the  conditions 
in  this  country,  on  both  sides  of  the  boundary,  are  such  as  to 
create  an  extraordinary  movement  of  connnerce  for  domestic 
purposes  alone. 

The  foreign  connnerce  is  also  proportionatelx-  large.  rerliai>s 
we  do  not  realize  die  extent,  for  instance,  to  which  our  two  coun- 
tries sui)])lv  the  markets  of  the  great  consuming  nation  of  tlie 
world— ( ireat  Tiritain.  Canada.  1  may  say.  's  a  very  heavy 
exporter  to  the  mother  land.  .And  in  the  four  years  from  i8()0  to 
iX<,3  inclusive,  the  imports  of  the  I'nited  Kingdo.'V  from  the 
Cmted  ."States  alone,  ecjualled  those  fr(»i'i  I'rai'ce.  (iirmany,  Rus- 
sia, Italy,  China  and  I'.razil  all  put  together.  They  exceeded  li\ 
nearly  l^),oo().ooo  the  imports  in  the  same  \ear  Iroin  ;ill  thr 
I'.ritish  possessions  in  the  norld,  (  anad.'i  inchuK'd.  As  the  vcar> 
roll  on.  I'.ritain  pin-chases  from  our  two  countries  more  atid  more. 
Comparing  her  imports  for  thi'  four  \ears  name<l  with  those  of  the 
next  preceding  four  \ears.  thosi'  from  <  "anada  nuTcisiil  inorr 
than  ()()  per  cent,  anil  thosi'  from  the  I'nited  States  over  J5  pn 
cent.,  while  from  nearl\  all  other  countries  they  decreased  b_\ 
comparis<m. 

These  remarks  as  to  our  Ir.ide  giMicrallv  are  ;i)>plicablr.  o| 
course,  to  the  entire  country.     Ihil  they  arr  appliuiblv  in  particu- 


58 


lar  to  the  region  wliose  products  and  supplies  are  in  such  great 
part  carried  over  the  lakes. 

There  is  a  further  important  fact,  one  which  applies  especially 
to  the  lake  region.  It  is  that  the  greatest  develoi)ment  of  trade, 
in  the  future,  both  in  the  I'nited  States  and  Canada,  nuist  be  in 
the  region  tributary  to  the  lakes  and  their  coiuiections.  It  is  in 
the  region  tributary  to  die  great  lakes.  The  conunerce  of  all 
parts  of  the  two  countries  will  no  doubt  greatly  increase  in  the 
future  as  in  the  past.  lUU  we  may  look  for  the  greatest  increase 
of  all  in  the  region  on  both  sides  of  the  boundary  tributary  to 
till,'  lakes  and  their  connections.  It  is  in  this  region  that  we 
have  seen  production  and  traffic  increase  at  ho  phenomenal  a  rat'j 
within  the  past  two  decades.  And  yet  production  th.ere  is  still 
in  its  infancy.  The  records  of  that  period  serve  to  give  us  a 
faint  idea  of  what  the  traffic  will  be  at  the  end  of  anodier  ten 
years. 

How  short  has  been  the  time  since  the  great  northwest  was  an 
unknown  wilderness!  The  red  man  but  recently  held  imdisputed 
sway  over  the  districts  where  now  the  magnificent  fields  of  yellow 
grain  furnish  a  siglit  such  as  can  he  seen  in  no  other  ])art  of  the 
world.  The  hunters  who  a  few  years  ago  chased  the  buffalo  on 
the  prairie,  are  still  ali\e  to  iierd  the  cattle  gra-^ing  on  the  same 
grounds. 

Michigan  but  a  short  time  since  was  one  of  the  states  of  the  far 
west:  Chicago  was  first  reached  by  a  vessel  fnjm  the  'ower  lakes 
in  1834.  The  boats  that  passed  the  cily  of  Cleveland,  down  to  a 
period  less  than  si.xty  years  ago,  were  engaged,  noi  in  sliipping 
the  products  of  the  great  west  to  the  eastern  market,  but  the  car- 
rying provisions  to  the  newl\  formed  settlements  beyond  Detroit. 
The  fir.st  cargo  of  grain  from  Lake  Michigan  reached  Huffnlo  in 
iM^f).  The  lake  trade  soon  developed,  however,  and  Michigan 
ceased  to  be  a  border  state. 

The  settlers  in  Indiana  and  Illinois  were  the  pioneers  t)f  a 
period  a  few  years  kiter,  ;nid  soon  a  few  plucky  atlventnrers  made 
their  way  iiUo  Iowa  and  Wisconsin,  their  frit-nds  whom  the\'  left 
behind  ctnnmitting  tluni  to  the  care  of  heaven  and  their  tmsty 
nuiskets  against  the  attacks  of  the  savages  around  their  new 
homes.  The  present  *reneration  has  seen  the  occupation  and 
developmeiU  to  some  extent  of  the  Hakot.'is  an<l  Minnesota  aii<1  of 


59 

the  Canadian  northwest.  And  what  has  been  the  residt.  so  far  as 
coninierce  is  concerned,  of  the  occui)ation  of  these  western  hinds? 
The  records  of  the  lake  traffic  during  the  past  20  years  furnish 
the  answer. 

Let  nie  present  a  few  figures  comparing  the  traffic  for  some 
years  through  the  Sault  canal,  opened  in  1855.  with  that  passing 
the  Suez  canal,  opened  in  1870.  The  statement  is  as  follows, 
round  figures  being  used: 

Sault  Suez 

^G^^-  Tonnage.  Tonnage. 

1855 100,000  

1865 400,000  

^^75 1,250,000  2,000,000 

J^^o 1.750.000  3,000,000 

'^^5 3,250,000  6,350.000 

'^*J^^ • <j,ooo,ocx)  6,850.000 

1^92 II  .2oo.(X)o  7.700,000 

1^94 i3.ja).o(X)  8.(xx),ooo 

To  realize  the  full  meaning  of  these  figures  we  are  to  hear  in 
nu'nd  that  the  commerce  of  the  Sault  is  that  carried  to  and  from 
the  ports  of  one  only  of  our  great  lakes,  and  that  one  of  the 
most  remote  of  all.  and  the  one  whose  ports  supply  those  regions 
in  the  United  States  and  Canada  that  have  been  most  recendv. 
and  are  now  most  sparsely,  settled.  The  Suez,  on  the  other  hand, 
is  the  great  highway  from  the  British  and  other  luiropean  mar- 
kets to  the  Orient  and  to  Australia,  carrying  the  C(jmmerce  of 
continents.  Again,  the  Sault  is  open  for  an  average  of  about 
220  days  in  the  year,  while  the  Suez  is  open  every  day  f)f  the  365. 

A  striking  feature  of  the  lake  traffic,  suggested  by  tlie  same 
figures,  is  seen  in  the  marvelous  strides  by  which  it  has  increased 
from  year  to  year.  In  1875.  1880,  and  1885,  and  during  all  the 
intervening  years,  the  tonnage  of  the  Suez  was  much  larger  than 
that  of  the  Sault.  It  was  in  later  years  that  the  proportions  were 
reversed,  until  in  1894  the  Sault  traffic  exceeded  that  of  the  Suez 
by  mori'  than  50  per  cent. 

Other  illustrations  may  be  given  of  the  immensity  of  the  lake 
traffic  and  its  marvelous  grtjwth.  The  following  figures,  for 
example,  re[)resent  the  toimage  of  iron  ore  produced  in  the  Lake 


60 

Superior  region,  nearly  all  of  which  was  carried  clown  the  lakes, 
for  the  years  named,  in  round  figures: 

1878  1,000,000  tons. 

1883  2,5aj,ooo    " 

1887  5,000,000    " 

1890  over  9,000,000    " 

1892  over  9,000,000    " 

The  figures  for  1893  and  1894  were  somewhat  smaller,  arising 
from  a  well-known  cause.  About  55  per  cent  of  all  the  iron  ore 
produced  in  the  I'nited  States  is  now  carried  over  the  lakes.  A 
remarkable  fact  to  be  notetl  in  this  connection  is  the  small  propor- 
tion carried  by  rail  as  compared  with  water.  In  1890  the  cpiantity 
taken  by  rail  from  the  mines,  on  the  American  side  of  Lake  Su- 
perior, was  less  dian  850,000  tons,  as  against  8.ooo,cxx)  tons  and 
over  taken  by  the  lakes. 

How  far,  again,  has  the  development  of  the  iron  industry  in 
the  northwest  been  due  U)  tlie  existence  of  our  great  natural 
highway,  and  the  conse(|uent  low  rates  of  transportation?  I  )o 
we  not  all  realize  that,  but  for  the  advantages  of  this  route  in  the 
cost  of  carriage,  this  great  industry  of  the  Lake  Superior  district 
would  never  have  attained  such  magnificent  proportions?  In 
these  times  of  close  competition  the  slightest  increase  or  decrease 
in  freight  rates  may  revolutionize  trade;  may  build  it  up  or  destroy 
it.  I  have  seen  it  recorded  that  in  1890  and  1891  more  than 
thirty  of  the  smelting  furnaces  in  (.)hio  and  LY'nnsylvania  had  to 
be  closed  for  several  months  because  the  railway  companies  could 
not  give  them  a  reduction  oi  25  cents  a  Um  in  the  rates  for  trans- 
portation of  coke  fuel. 

The  cl(<sing  of  the  Sault  canal  for  a  few  months  would  paralyze 
the  iron  ore  industry  on  the  shores  of  Lake  .Superior  for  a  whole 
year.  The  permanent  closing  of  that  canal  would  mean  the  clos- 
ing up  of  the  greater  part  of  the  mines.  Had  the  capacity  of  that 
canal  not  been  increased  in  18S1.  the  rates  of  freight  would  never 
have  be'Mi  reduced  to  their  present  figures,  and  that  indu.stry 
vu)uld  never  have  been  fully  developed.  What  will  be  the  future 
of  the  traffic  in  iron  ore,  and  wliat  its  effect  on  the  develo])ment 
o£  the  northwest  if  the  deep-water  channels  are  extended  to  the 
«vean.  and,  say,  to  PiTTsburg! 


f 


61 

How  suggestive  of  an  inereased  trade  therefrom  is  the  fact 
that  more  than  loo.ooo.ocx)  tons  of  (jre  are  in  sight  in  tlie  mines 
already  opened  on  the  Mesaba  range  alone! 

Tlie  growth  of  the  lake  commerce  is  as  marked  in  otiier  pro- 
ducts as  in  ore.  I  have  said  that  the  first  cargo  of  wheat  that 
ever  went  from  the  upper  lakes  was  carried  from  Lake  Micliigan 
ports  to  Buf¥aIo  in  1836.  The  total  receipts  of  wheat  for  tlie 
years  named  in  lUifTalo  was  as  follows:      ' 

^^36  500,ixx)  l)usliels. 

1846  (including  flour) 6.500,000 

1856 20,000,000 

^^66  52,000,000 

1886  72,500,000 

1^91   164,500.000 

^892  182,000,000 

The  wheat  alone  carried  through  Detroit  river  in  1X1)3  was 
70,500,000  bushels,  and  of  flour  there  was  carried  ().5oo,ooo  bar- 
rels. Speaking  of  the  Detroit  river  suggests  a  few  figures  giving 
at  once  another  instance  of  the  marvelous  growdi  of  the  lake 
commerce  and  the  advantages  over  rail  transportation.  These 
figures  are  taken  from  the  table  compiled  by  L.  E.  Coole\ ,  and 
do  not  include  Canadian  traffic: 


COMMERCE  OF  DETROIT  R1\KR. 

Tonnage  Tonnage 

Vear.  by  water.  by  rail. 

i^^.^ 17.605,174  3,087,204 

i^H6 18,968.065  3,i()6.032 

'^<n 23,209,619  ?,'^)7i'77(' 

1^9^ 26.503.8r(>  3,820,382 

1893 23,091,889  3,659,292 

As  long  ago  as  i88(),  a -cording  to  an  estimate  published  b\  tin: 
late  (r'o.  H.  Ely,  the  entire  freight  passing  through  the  Det.oit 
river  was  more  than  three  times  the  foreign  trade  of  the  port  of 
New  York;  it  exceeded  the  aggregate  foreign  trade  of  all    the 


62 


sca]i()rts  of  the  I'liitcd  States  by  io,ocx3,ooo  tons,  aiul  it  exceeded 
by  over  3,000,000  tons  the  total  foreipi  and  coastwise  trade  of 
Liverjiool  and  London  combined.  The  wheat  received  at  Mon- 
treal in  1893  by  the  Lachine  canal  and  St.  Lawrence  river,  was 
about  7,000.000  bushels  as  against  less  than  130,000  bushels 
broug-ht  in  by  all  the  railways. 

These  facts  j^ive  us  some  idea  of  the  past  development  of  the 
lake  and  river  traffic,  and  it  does  not  surprise  us  to  be  told  that 
the  entire  commerce  of  the  j^reat  lakes,  American  and  Canadian, 
is  tc|ual  to  25  ]X'r  cent,  (jf  that  carried  by  all  the  railroads  (jf  the 
American  union.  What  is  that  conunerce  going  to  be  in  a  com- 
paratively few  years,  when  the  present  population  of  the  great 
northwest  shall  be  doubled,  trebled,  or  (juadrupled,  when  all  the 
productive  prairie  lands  shall  be  brought  under  cultivation,  when 
all  the  rich  ranges  shall  be  stocked  with  cattle,  and  when  the  rich 
mining  districts  on  the  Canadian  side  may  be  as  fully  developed 
as  those  on  the  south  shore  of  Lake  Superior? 

Col.  ( ).  M.  I'oe,  chief  engineer  of  the  Sault  canal,  writing,  early 
in  January  of  i8(ji,  his  report  urging  the  com])letion  of  the  twen- 
ty-fo(jt  channel  from  the  head  of  the  lakes  to  lUiffalo,  after 
describing  the  wonderful  exi)ansion  of  the  lake  traffic  up  to  that 
period,  used  the  following  language,  which  can  aptly  be  used 
to-day  in  support  of  a  demand  for  the  extension  of  such  a  channel, 
and  even  of  a  deeper  one  to  the  Atlantic  ocean:  "Surely  such  a 
commerce  deserves  every  aid  ami  encouragement  that  can  be 
given  U)  it.  (Jive  it  a  channel  practically  navigable  upijn  a 
draught  of  twenty  feet  and  it  needs  no  pr(jphet  to  ])redict  a  won- 
derful growth,  but  only  a  prcjpb.et  could  foretell  its  degree.  For 
neariy  thirty-five  \ears  1  have  watched  its  increase,  but  neither  I 
nor  anyone  else  within  my  knowledge  has  been  able  to  exi)an(l  in 
ideas  at  the  same  rate.  The  wildest  expectations  of  one  vear 
seem  absurdly  tame  the  next." 

And  so  it  is  still.  Let  the  20-foot  channel  of  the  lakes  be 
extended  from  the  foot  of  L^ake  Erie  to  the  Atlantic,  and  com- 
merce will  receive  an  impetus  that  will  give  results  as  startling  as 
the  unparalleled  progress  of  the  past.  And  it  will  result  in  a  great 
development  of  the  rich  northwest  on  both  sides  of  the  line. 

I  care  not  in  wliat  direction  ycni  may  reach  in  the  first  place  to 
Lake  ( )ntario— whether  it  be  by  the   Welland.  deepened  to  20 


r/ 


H3 


f/ 


feet,  or  by  a  new  channel  thron.^h  the  state  of  Xew  Yuck.  The 
result,  in  either  case,  will  he  the  same.  I.  as  a  Canadian,  may  have 
a  preference  for  the  Welland ;  but  that  would  only  be  in  so  far  as  I 
could  be  convinced  that  it  really  afforded  the  best  nnte.  If  a 
new  channel  can  be  opened  to  as  i,n)()(l  advantaj:^e.  and  at  less  cost. 
then  let  the  new  channel  be  opened,  and  let  both  countries  join 
in  the  work.  Canada's  e.\])enditure  in  the  past  can  be  considered 
in  fixinjr  the  amount  which  she  should  contribute. 

I  care  not,  again,  whether  we  are  to  reach  the  salt  water  1)\  the 
St.  Lawrence,  or  by  a  new  n)ute  from  Oswej^o  to  All)anv.  or 
whether  we  j^et  to  the  Hudson  by  Cauj^^hnawag-a.  All  that  this 
ccmvenvion  should,  in  my  judgment  ask,  is.  that  by  one  or  other 
route  the  two  countries  should  unite  in  ])roviding  a  deep  channel. 
It  is  for  us.  at  the  .same  time,  to  elicit  and  make  known  the  fullest 
information  that  can  be  obtained,  showing  the  advantages  and 
disadvantages  of  each  several  route. 

Let  us  have  a  full  discussion,  right  here,  of  every  consideration 
that  favors  one  route  or  other,  in  order  that  the  governments  and 
the  people  of  the  two  nations  may  be  well  informed,  lint  this 
convention  is  not.  nor  is  this  associatiim.  an  executive  bodv  hav- 
ing power  to  act.  15e  it  ours  to  agitate,  and  to  educate  and 
inform  the  public  as  to  the  advantages  of  the  scheme  generally, 
and  as  to  the  merits  of  each  individual  route.  With  the  national 
executives  of  the  respective  nations  nuist  be  left  the  responsibility 
of  propounding,  and  with  the  congress  and  parliament  the  respon- 
sibility of  ratifying  in  the  end  the  .scheme  that  on  the  whole  mav 
commend  itself  to  the  public.  What  I  take  leave  to  urge  is  this: 
We  are  seeking  an  improvement  in  the  natural  water  channels.  It 
is  an  international  waterway  .supplied  by  nature  for  the  material 
good  of  the  two  nations  from  the  head  of  the  lake  to  the  ocean. 
One  nation  has  no  greater  right  over  it  than  has  the  other.  Mven 
the  use  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  where  its  course  is  within  Canadian 
soil,  has  by  soleiun  treaty  been  assinrd  to  citizens  of  the  Cm'ted 
States  on  exactly  e(|ual  terms  with  Canadians,  and  that  fore\cr.  1 
say.  then,  let  the  two  nations  unite,  c^n  proper  terms  and  uikUt 
reasonable  conditions,  in  the  complexion  of  the  work;  and  let  the 
chatuiel,  when  completed,  be  for  the  use.  absolutely  free  fr<jni 
toll,  of  the  citizens  of  both  countries. 


64 


'. 


As  to  this  route  or  that  route.  1  say  for  myself,  and  I  tliink  it  is 
the  judg-nient  of  this  convention,  that  we  shouhl  not  he  content 
till  we  reach  both  Xew  \'orl<  and  Montreal  by  a  twenty-foot 
channel.  Let  it  not  be  thought  that  Canada  would  not  be  bene- 
fited by  a  deep  waterway  from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  harbor  of 
Xew  York.     As  it  is.  we  have  water  connnunication  all  the  way. 

If  it  shall  be  the  judfrnient  of  the  two  nations  that  we  should 
deepen  the  St.  Lawrence  canal,  we  should  not  even  then  be  con- 
tent till  we  have  an  e(|ually  deep  channel  by  the  Chanibly  and 
Whitehall  canals  or  the  Caufj^hnawaji^a.  or  by  some  other  route  to 
Xew  York.  ( )ur  system  will  not  be  comi)lete  without  reaching; 
both  of  the  great  ports,  and  be  the  cost  what  it  may.  these  two 
nations  can  ])rovide  the  means.  Let  us  have  such  a  channel  to 
both  Xew  York  and  Montreal,  and  who  that  is  familiar  with  the 
records  of  the  lake  traffic  for  the  past  twenty  years  will  doubt  that 
in  five  years  after  their  completion,  the  saving  in  cost  of  trans- 
portation <jf  the  increased  commerce  over  the  route — the  saving. 
J  mean,  that  will  be  due  wholly  to  the  increased  accommodation 
on  the  waters — will  far  exceed  the  entire  cost  of  the  undertaking? 

Give  us  the  twenty  feet  depth  to  the  Atlantic  and  we  will  see  the 
huge  cargoes  of  four.  five,  six,  and  seven  thousand  tons  that  will 
be  floated  on  the  completed  channels  of  the  lake  route  from  the 
far  west  to  lUififalo.  carried  along  in  the  same  great  shij^s  without 
break  of  bulk  to  the  ocean,  perhaps  across  the  Atlantic,  to  be 
unloaded  at  Liverpool  and  Glasgow.  Who  does  not  realize — and 
yet  who  can  actually  realize  to  its  full  extent — that  the  opening  of 
such  a  through  channel  would  at  once  result  in  a  striking  reduc- 
tion of  freight  rates,  in  a  vastly  enlarged  area  of  cultivation  in  the 
prairies  of  the  northwest,  in  a  greatly  enlarged  market  for  the  coal 
of  Pennsylvania,  in  an  enlarged  connnerce  in  every  line  of  indus- 
try, the  extent  of  which  we  cannot  estimate,  but  which  can 
scarcely  be  overstated? 

I  am  not  going  to  (|Uote  man\'  figures  indicating  the  value  in 
dollars  and  cents  of  this  commerce.  Its  extent  and  character 
sufficiently  indicate  its  value.  Hiat  value  has  increased,  of 
course,  with  the  same  bounds  as  the  tonnage.  We  mav  well 
describe  it  as  enormous.  Taking  the  freight  passing  through 
the  Sault  alone,  its  value  was  in 


t;.') 


1.S85    $  5,V4^^^'*^™J 

1887   7(),(xx),ocx) 

lS()0     I02.2(X),CXK) 

1 8«)  I  1 26.0(X).ocx) 

1 8»)2  1 35,000,000 

i8()3  i45,5oo,oa5 

1 8()4  i43.0(X),ooo 

The  coal  alone  that  was  carried  thri)u;^h  the  Sault  last  year 
exceeded  in  value  over  $8,ooo,ocx):  wheat  and  flour  reached  $60,- 
(X)0,ooo:  lumber,  $ 1 1 , ^oo.cxx) ;  and  copper  and  iron  ore,  $37,cxx),- 
(XX).  If  we  take  the  shiijpiuf^'  itself  that  is  afloat  on  these  waters, 
the  value  of  it  is  soniethinj^  enormous.  The  entire  fleet  ol  the 
great  lakes  now  numbers  nearly  4,000  vessels  of  all  kinds,  .tjivin.tj 
em])l()yment  to  nearly  45,000  persons  in  service  on  tlie  lakes. 

The  activity  in  shi])l)uil(linj.(  is  one  of  the  remarkable  features 
connected  with  the  traffic.  During  the  past  few  years  the  most 
striking  feature  connected  with  the  shipbuilding  industry  is  the 
enormous  size  and  ca])acity  of  the  new  vessels.  This  dei)artment 
of  the  industries  built  up  by  the  great  lake  route  will,  e(|ually  with 
•  ithers,  be  stimulated  and  encouraged  to  an  extraordinary  degree 
l)y  the  extension  of  the  deep  water  system  to  the  ocean. 

Are  we  to  be  content  witli  an  extension  of  the  jiresent  lake 
system  to  the  ocean?  Do  we  realize  how  trade  would  be 
increased  and  the  ])rosperity  uf  the  two  countries  ])rom(Jted  if 
canal  systems  connecting  with  the  great  k<kes  were  extended  in 
other  directions?  Looking  at  the  va.st  movement  of  coal  and  ore, 
for  instance,  between  the  lakes  and  the  Pittsburgh  district,  what  a 
stinudus  would  be  g'iven  to  that  trade  by  the  opening  of  a  water 
channel  in  that  direction?  What  sum  ex])ended  in  such  an  enter- 
prise would  be  too  great  to  be  justified  by  the  commercial  advan- 
tages it  would  bring,  and  bv  the  actual  saving  in  dollars  and 
cents  in  the  cost  of  transportation? 

And  what  of  the  great  nortliwest?  1  do  not  urge  that  at  this 
time  our  association  should  press  for  immediate  ste|)s  to  secure  a 
connection  between  the  great  lakes  and  the  Red  River  of  the 
.\orth  and  witii  the  headwaters  of  the  .Mississippi.  But  in  taking 
a  view  of  the  conmierce  that  may  be  tributary  to  an  enlarged 
waterway  .sy.stem,  who  that  has  formed  an  idea  of  the  unboundefl 


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from  year  to  year.  lUit  it  is  in  tlir  iiortliwcstcrly  of  those  states, 
tributary  to  tlie  upper  lakes,  tliat  we  shall  witness  the  .ucreatest 
},''ro\\th  in  the  next  twenty  \ears.  Wisconsin  is  still  a  new  state, 
with  a  vast  amount  of  rich  land  still  unoultivatt'd.  and  she  is  capa- 
ble of  extendinj^  her  varied  industries  many  fold.  In  Minnesota, 
b)\\a.  Nebraska,  and  the  Dakotas  but  a  fraction  of  the  lands  have 
been  broujj^ht  into  a  ])ro(luctive  condition. 

W'Ih)  can  estimate  the  expansion  of  the  conunerce  <»f  the  north- 
west when  these  fj^reat  territories  shall  be  occu])ied  by  lari;e  popu- 
lations, when  all  their  arable  lands  shall  be  broujifht  uiuler  cultiva- 
tion and  their  varied  industries  shall  be  developed?  And  what  a 
factor  in  the  development  of  those  industries  will  be  the  o])enim.;' 
of  a  canal  from  the  head  of  the  lakes  to  the  headwaters  of  the 
extent  and  the  un])aralleled  richness  of  that  retjion.  and  that 
h.'is  j^ivi'U  a  tboui^ht  to  its  natural  advantages  in  respect  of 
water  cliaiuuls.  capable  of  I)einiL;'  utilized  and  im])roved.  can  fail 
to  appreciate  llu'  boundless  possibilities  of  de\elopuieut  in  iliat 
country  llirou|L;!i  an  extension  of  watirways?  I  have  said  that 
in  the  nortiiwest  above  all  \\c  arc  to  look  for  the  chief  develop- 
ments of  conunerce  in  tile  future.  What  that  develo])ment  may 
be  we  can  form  some  faint  conce])tiiin  nf  1)\  a  stuily  of  the  past. 
The  wliole  countrx.  I  repeat,  is  in  its  infanc).  l.ook  at  ihe 
.yrouth  of  the  i^real  cities  nf  tJU'  lakes  betwci'u  iSSo  and  iSijo. 
boundini.;'  up  from  a  po])uI;ition  oi   i,^(K),oik)  to  over  ^.^oo.ooo. 

Look  at  tin.'  ^feat  towns  and  cities  urowin^  uji  thr<iuu;hout  the 
states  and  pro\iiicc>  th.it  contribute  In  this  tr;itlic.  In  the  \mi'r- 
ican  Itiion  apart  from  W'w  N  ork  and  IVun>v  Ivania  there  are 
sixteen  .yi'eat  states  that  are  t"  a  l.irye  exteiU  dipendeiU  on  the 
lake  route  for  transportation  of  their  products.  They  are  all 
states  in  which  population  is  incrca>iiiL;  and  industri^'>^  extendinj;' 
.Mississippi  and  to  the  l\eil  l\i\ir.  brinyiujH'  canal  traffic  to  the 
twin  cities  of  Mimiesota  and  to  the  ,L;raiu  lields  of  I  )akola.  If  we 
cannot  hope  in  tlu'  umnediate  future  to  see  step>  taken  to  such  ;m 
end  wt'  max  at  least  i^ive  serious  thou.niil  to  tiie  feasibility  of  such 
a  .schenii',  and  furnish  information  that  may  enlighten  tin-  publi'- 
on  llu'  (|uestion. 

And  let  me  adil  a  wortl  or  two  about  the  j^Tcat  expansion  in 
production  and  commerce  that  we  are  sure  to  witness  in  the}j^reat 
and  rich  north  west  of  Canada.      To  the  capabilities  of  that  coun- 


f 


»)7 


try  ill  tlie  way  of  siistainiii.y;'  a  j^n-at  populatidii  and  (k-vt'Iopins;-  a 
most  (.'xtendcd  trade,  considfrahlo  attrntion  lias  lati'lv  hi-cn  paid. 
Sutihicc'  it  to  say  lu-ri'  that  in  the  ])r()viiK(.'  of  .\lanitol>a  aloiu",  now 
containing'  k-ss  than  j^.cxjo  fanners,  where  six  or  eii^ht  \ears  aj^o 
wc  had  to  import  beef  and  butter  and  other  provisions  for  tin 
settlers,  we  now  have  jj^^reat  herds  of  stock,  and  a  larije  export  trad,' 
of  fat  cattle  to  the  h'nj^-lish  markets  is  now  jjfoin^  on  ever\  season, 
and  increasinj;'  largely  each  successive  vear.  Ten  \ears  a^o  Wf 
were  practically  without  creameries  oi-  chei'se  factories,  which 
now  we  have  in  every  district  of  the  province.  We  ha\e  iust  wit 
nesse<l  the  harvestin;j;'  of  the  j^featest  crop  ever  seen  in  the  north 
west.  The  a.ijj^ref^ate  yield  of  wheat  in  .Manitob.i  .ilnne  exceeds 
_^o.(xx).(xx)  bushels,  and  other  crops  anunmt  to  another  3{),o;)0.oo;) 
bushels.  In  iS()4  the  yield  of  wheat  in  \k'mitoba  was  about 
I7,(xx),(xx);  in  iS(>3  about  I4,(xk),()(m).  aiul  in  iSSX  ;dii,nt  (i,(KK),- 
(XX)  buslu'ls. 

The  ]»rovince  is  in  the  \er\  earliest  infanc\  of  it>  l^touiIi;  not 
one-tenth  of  its  rich  arable  lan<l>  are  uiidir  cultivati<in:  its  L;ra/inL; 
lanils,  still  unoccupied,  are  almost  bonudk'>^  in  c\tenl.  To  ihi 
wi'st  and  northwest  of  .Manitoba  extends  tlu-  j^reat  (  anadian  teiri- 
tory,  rich  beyond  description  in  prairie  and  iirazinu' laml.  a  ciiun 
try  destined  in  the  futm-e  to  be  the  home  of  million>. 

We  do  not  mind  making"  the  a<lmission,  however,  that  in  tiu- 
meamime  population  is  coming;'  in  l)Ut  slowly,  and  ue  realize  that 
one  of  the  considerations  tliat  di>coura!.^f  more  rai)id  -ettknieni 
i>«  the  j^rt'at  cost  of  transportation  to  ;ind  from  the  marki't>  of  tin- 
world.  The  (|uestion  of  chea])er  transportation  i-^  llic  (|Uestion 
of  (juestions  for  the  Canadian  as  will  as  the  Aniericni  northwest. 
Solve  that  ])rol)leni  and  the  adxanta.ue  to  the  country,  as  well  a- 
the  ex|tansion  of  its  commerce,  will  be  mar\ilon>.  It  has  all  tlu' 
otlu'r  conditions  that  wdl  insure  sue!;  a  result.  A  thousaml  luiks 
be\ond  tlu'  boimdarx  of  .Manitoba,  further  to  tlu'  northwest,  the 
wheat  rej^ion  coiuinno.  Throuiih  this  threat  rcLjion  of  .Manitob.i 
and  the  tt'rrilories  run  the  Red,  the  Saskatchewan,  the  .\ssini 
boine,  the  (Jn'  .\ppelk',  and  other  stri'ams.  It  is  feasible  to  con 
noct  this  conntrv  bv  a  water  channel  with  the  i.;feat  lakes — in 
other  words,  can  canal  coimection  be  opened  up  between  the  head 
of  the  lakes  and  the  Ked  river?  That  is  the  problem  facing-  Xorth 
Dakota  and  northern   .Mimiesota  as  well  as  the  Canadian  north- 


()8 


i 


west.  It  is  a  problem  upon  which  this  cunvcntiou  cannot,  per- 
haps, jj^ive  full  information.  l)in  it  is  a  (piestion  that  can  be  dis- 
cussed, and  on  wiiich  we  can  procure  information. 

We  should  impress  upon  the  ^governments  of  the  two  nati(jns 
that,  at  least,  the  country  should  be  examined,  and  a  survey  made 
with  a  view  to  judg-e  as  to  the  feasibility  and  cost  of  such  an 
undertakings.  One  canal  to  the  Red  river  mij^ht  serve  both  coun- 
tries. The  route  ji^entrally  considered  most  feasible  on  the  Cana- 
dian side  is  by  the  Lake  of  the  Woods.  That  lake  and  the  Rainy 
river  furnish  already  the  re(|uired  navifi^ation  for  a  distance  of  150 
miles  from  the  west  shore  of  lUiffalo  bay  at  the  international 
boundary  easterly  to  I'ort  h'rancis,  also  on  the  boundary.  Were 
the  canal  at  l-'ort  l-Vancis.  on  which  a  laru^e  sum  of  money  was 
ex]XMided  20  years  ago.  completed,  and  it  is  .said  that  $250,000 
would  do  so.  the  entire  distance  from  the  west  coast  of  the  Lake 
of  the  Woods  to  within  40  miles  of  Lake  Superior  would  be 
navigable,  save  only  a  number  of  portages  not  aggregating  more 
than  eight  miles.  To  that  extent  a  channel  woulcl  have  to  be 
opened,  at  considerable  cost,  no  doubt,  but  at  a  cost  which  would 
be  fully  justified  in  view  of  the  advantages  secured. 

The  most  serious  difficulty  is  met  with  in  the  40  miles  next  to 
Lake  Superior,  where  the  great  fall  of  land  takes  place.  There, 
too,  we  have  water  conununication  all  the  way,  but  the  fall  has 
to  be  overcome.  How  far  can  modern  appliances  and  engineer- 
ing skill  overcome  that  obstacle  at  a  cost  commensurate  with  the 
benefits  to  be  derived  from  the  opening  of  the  chaimel? 

The  country  between  the  Lake  of  the  Woods  and  the  RcA 
river  is  one  that  offers  no  particular  obstacle,^  to  the  o])ening  of  a 
water  v'hamiel.  A  number  of  gentlemen  iiUerested  in  bringing 
saw-logs  from  Lake  of  the  Woods  to  the  Rvil  river  have  already 
secured  a  charter  from  the  .Manitoba  legislature  for  the  opening 
of  a  canal  for  that  purpose.  ( )ne  |)roposal  was  to  use  the  channel 
of  the  Rt)sseau  river,  whose  headwaters  are  within  twenty  miles 
of  the  Lake  of  the  Wottds,  and  which  runs  to  the  Red  river  partly 
through  Minnesota  and  partly  through  .Manitoba.  The  land 
between  the  headwaters  of  the  Rosseau  and  the  Lake  t)f  the 
Woods  is  chiefly  muskeg,  and  there  is  a  run  of  water  all  the  way. 
The  character  of  the  soil  throughout  the  whole  distance  is  such 
as  to  inaki'  construction  easv. 


^It' 


A 


69 


r  have  discussed  the  (|uesti()ii  with  men  of  en^^nneerinjf  skill 
cc.nipetent.  as  I  am  net.  to  pass  jud^nnent  on  the  (|uestion.  and 
their  opinion  is  that  the  problem  of  conneotinjr  the  great  lakes 
with  Re<l  river  by  canal  is  a  feasible  one.  and  that  at  a  most  rea- 
sonable cost. 

If  we  can  indeed  look  forward  to  the  i)ossibility  of  havinjj  even 
a  six-fo(jt  channel  to  this  river  that  flows  throuf,di  the  heart  of  tho 
great  prairie  region,  and  another  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Missis- 
sippi system,  need  I  say  a  word  to  suggest  the  inunense  impetus 
that  will  be  given  to  the  development  of  the  great  northwest  an<I 
to  the  conunerce  of  the  great  lakes?  I  cannot  pretend  to  set  down 
in  figures  any  prediction  of  its  volume,  but  we  know  what  th<> 
practical  results  will  be.  .Snrely  this  convention  would  be  taking 
a  wise  step,  and  will  be  working  to  a  good  end.  if  by  any  actioii 
of  ours  we  succeed  in  at  least  directing  pul)lic  attention  to  th. 
importance  of  such  an  enterprise,  and  if  we  can  impress  upon  tin- 
respective  governments  the  desirability  (.f  taking  nii-ans  to  have 
such  survey  and  inspection  made  as  will  test  the  feasibility  and 
cost  of  the  work. 


